The Mind Flayer Chronicles
by Friendlysociopath
Summary: A rogue mage trades in an entire family of slaves in order to obtain one Illithid newborn for him to experiment on. As the years go by the newborn matures and eventually turns on his owner- killing him. Far from his home and his people, the young mind flayer must find a place in this new world or perish.
1. Chapter 1

_Prologue_

Deep beneath the surface of Faerun, there lies another world; it is a world of darkness, secrets, and danger. It is known as The Underdark. The sun does not shine upon this world, many of the beings that inhabit this hidden realm can go their entire lives without ever seeing the sun or sky. Several races lived in the Underdark: the Drow, faithful Elven servants of the Goddess Lolth, eager to fight and quick to betray one another all in the name of their dark queen; the Svirfneblin, Gnomes that lived to create and build, they are a peaceful race- often captured for use in skilled labor; and then the Illithid, strange beings with unfathomable goals, they exist to enslave and devour lesser races with their mighty psionic powers.

One such Illithid stood in a hidden passage near its city; seemingly waiting on something or someone. At its side stood a dozen slaves, each with a vacant expression on their face and weapons in their hands. These were the slaves that were deemed worthy of defending their master, though it considered them little better than a distraction to be used if events took a dire turn. The Illithid itself held nothing but a small stone bowl, the sloshing of liquid could be heard whenever the bowl was moved. It abruptly straightened and gazed in a new direction as a man garbed in elegant crimson robes and bearing a black staff walked into the cave, followed by six humans that were bound together with chains that were enveloped in glowing green flames. An elderly woman was supported by a tall man, another younger woman walked protectively by the three children- two daughters and a son. The mysterious man calmly walked up to the Illithid and crossed his arms, waiting for the mind flayer to make the first move. One of the slaves walked forward and gestured at the robed man, particularly at the thick black ring adoring his left hand.

"Master thanks you for your gift, he wishes you would remove that ring so he could thank you directly."

The robed man let out a bark of laughter as he calmly stroked the oiled blond goatee that protruded from his hood.

"This close to the city? I think not; either your master has informed the other mind flayers and this is a trap or he's here on his own and would like nothing more than a chance to get his psionic slaves for free. The ring stays on, your impertinence just cost you one slave." At a gesture, the chains split and pulled the youngest girl from her family; the women both began sobbing and the man agrily pulled against the chains.

"Targon! Don't you dare to- _ahhhh!_" The bound man fell to his knees as the flaming chains flashed brightly, the smell of burning flesh filled the small cavern.

Targon lowered his hood so he could stare into the eyes of the man who had slighted him; this gesture was somewhat wasted as it also revealed a rapidly receding hairline. "Dare? I will tell you what I **dared** to do, Gerry: I **dared** to burn your little hovel to the ground- I **dared** to slaughter your livestock- I **dared** to capture your entire family and I **dare **to sell you to mind flayers just because it suits me!" Targon's voice had steadily risen in volume as this tirade commenced until he was nearly shouting at the end.

The slave who had spoken before took another step forward, he was a large man with little facial hair and much scarring; probably from a long life of the Illithid fighting pits.

"Master says you should be careful, we are not so far from the city that none would notice the disturbance. There are many slaves with significantly greater hearing ability than your own who may detect your outburst."

Targon stood and glared down the large man who towered nearly a full meter over him.

"Mind flayer," at this the Illithid twitched, "if you speak to me with that tone again, we will have no deal; that just cost you one more slave." At another gesture, the chains split again and this time a young boy was pulled from his family. The Illithid reached out with a hand towards the boy while the large slave spoke again.

"Master says you drive too hard of a bargain, perhaps he should take you up on your offer and take everything by force." As he spoke, the other slaves began spacing out; several lifted crossbows and aimed at Targon.

Targon lifted a hand of his own and pointed at the Illithid, his voice resounding with menace in the enclosed area, "Lugricorian, if your slaves don't lower their weapons this instant we're going to have a problem." The slaves all suddenly held back, reflecting the turmoil in their master's mind. Targon capitalized on the indecision, bringing his staff up and pointing it at the large man Luricorian was using as a mouthpiece, "Yostred!" A thin beam of green light leaped from the staff and struck the man, turning him into a cloud of dust before he could do more than make a surprised face. The slaves didn't react, but Targon caught a glimpse of Lugricorian reaching a free hand towards a wand. He turned his staff towards the mind flayer, "You are going to take these four and you are going to keep your end of the bargain or else you are going to die right here and now."

Lugricorian hesitated; he had kept his activities secret from the Elder Brain and the rest of the city, but that meant he was without the hive mind to advise him- something that unnerved him slightly. Deciding that the risk was not worth jeapordizing the reward, he extended the bowl out to a small Kobold to carry over to Targon. Targon waited until the Kobold reached him before he made a gesture and the chains began pulling the remaining four members of the family towards the mind flayer. They screamed and fought until they were in range of Lugricorian's psionic abilities; when they all suddenly fell silent but for the woman who was still screaming for her two children.

Genuine anger flowed from the Kobold that stood within arms reach of Targon, "You broke our agreement Targon! Only one of these vermin have any psionic power!"

Targon calmy handed the bowl to the boy he had withdrawn from the trade, "Do not drop this." the words were laced with magic, compelling the child to obey. Targon stood and faced Lugricorian once more, "The agreement was for a psionic human and their family; you did not say the entire family had to have access to that power. In any case," Targon placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, noting that the little girl was clutching her brother's hand, "our conversation is at an end." Targon grinned at the oily Illithid, deciding he had nothing to lose by throwing caution to the winds, "Perhaps it's better that you cannot read my mind, surely even a mind flayer would dislike the thought that its offspring was to be used to create weapons to mind flayers. Farewell."

The slaves all screamed in unison and tried to attack Targon but he uttered a spell and vanished along with the children and the bowl before even the crossbow bolts reached him. Lugricorian's eyes blazed with rage; with great effort he wrestled his emotions under control. Targon had played the game well; Lugricorian knew nothing more than his name, and he could not use the hive mind to find more information without revealing he had given away an Illithid larva in exchange for slaves... although... Lugricorian turned towards the sobbing family that had just been ripped apart on little more than a whim, and the mother that held the blood of a psyker, perhaps it would still be worth it in the long run if she could be properly bred- only time would tell. 

Targon paused after reappearing in the safety of his tower to catch his breath. Contrary to his earlier threats, he was not a powerful wizard- the teleportation spell alongside the magical chains had taxed much of his strength. He was very good at research and potion-making, but he lacked power to back up any threat he might make. He had obtained his staff, tower, and even identity from his former master that he had poisoned years earlier; none of it had been under his own power. _But that's about to change isn't it? _ Targon had been contacted by a representative of the Red Wizards who had heard of his research into psychic powers; the organization knew that Illithids held domain over large sections of the Underdark- sections that the Red Wizards were interested in. Targon had been promised a prominent position if he could find a way to protect people from the psychic attacks that would be used against them.

Targon turned to look at the boy and girl he had refused to part with, both of whom were huddling together and staring at him even after he had ceased using magic to bind them. He pointed to them and bowl that the boy was holding, "Bring that over here." The children trembled but obeyed. Targon examined them in more detail than he had previously as they came closer; they appeared the same age- neither looked to have seen a full decade, the boy may have been a year older than the girl. Targon waited until they were within arms reach before grabbing the boy by the scruff of the neck and taking the bowl from him.

The girl's lip trembled and tears showed in her eyes, "I want my mommy back, please give her back."

The boy was more vocal in his objection, kicking Targon and screaming, "I'm gonna kill you! You're gonna die you-"

Targon pulled the boy close to him as he reached a hand into the bowl, "No brat, you aren't going to bother anyone ever again." Ignoring the screaming girl pounding at his legs, Targon took the Illithid larva and inserted it into the boy's ear before dragging him to the cell he had prepared and chaining him up. The girl still screamed, Targon picked her up and tossed her into the cell as well before turning to leave. He would feed them in the morning; he needed to rest. _Besides_, a smirk crossed his lips, _the ceremorphosis will take a full week to finish._ As he almost collapsed into his bead a thought circled briefly around in his skull. _I got lucky, I only planned on having the larva and one subject to work on; now I have a servant too._

In the cell the boy screamed, it was a sound without words, without rational thought- it was a scream of pure and mindless fear and agony. The girl cowered in the corner, sobbing. After a time the boy would run out of air and gasp for breath. His sister would crawl to him and hold his hand, trying to console him- he answered with more screaming. This went on for the entire night before Targon woke in the morning. He gave the girl a plate of bread and turned to leave before feeling a hand on his leg; he turned to see the girl looking at him with eyes red from crying.

"He can't eat like that- help us." Targon shook the girl off before exiting the cell.

"He won't be eating anything for another few days- I need to look into procuring his food."

The girl looked confused as the boy woke up, screaming again, "What will he eat?"

Targon looked back at her and grinned, "Brains you silly girl, he's going to become a mind flayer." He shut the cell door to the sound of hope finally dying in the girl's heart.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 1: New Life_

Targon had a problem, his test subject wasn't working. Oh he had turned into a mind flayer without an issue, just a solid week of screaming, but the ichors Targon was extracting weren't working in his potions! He scowled, looking over his shoulder at it.

During the week of ceremorphosis the expected changes had taken place- the boy's genetic and physical composition had chaged forever. His skin has begun secreting the oils needed to keep mind flayers from drying out, tentacles grew from his mouth and he had developed a hunger for brains. Targon had been forced to remove the girl from the cell and keep her in his room for her own safety- he had comes across the mind flayer almost killing her in an effort to feed before he had used his magic to force them apart. Targon now kept a small stock of refuse like beggers imprisoned in the dungeons of the tower so he could extract their brains to feed his little ichor-farm.

For that was the secret he pursued; while an Illithid had powerful psionic powers, the ichors that could be harvested from their bodies could be combined with others ingrediants to make a potion that would make the drinker immune to psychic attack and detection. For a year now he had been actively draining it of its ichors every week and working on the formula, but he wasn't achieving any success. The Red Wizards had been useful, they helped provide him with the beggers and the weak because they believed in his research, but he knew they had made the same promise to others as they had to him: help us and be rewarded, fail us and be punished. Targon gritted his teeth and rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "Girl! Water!" she walked up to him with a plate and pitcher, after giving him his food she walked back to her corner without a word. Targon was pleased with his servant; true, magic was more efficient and also didn't require food- or punishment, but he was in it for the long haul. At just twenty-five years old he was looking forward to riches and power in his future and perhaps... he gazed at the girl again, at the red hair and a face already beginning to mature at just over twelve winters of age. She would grow up to be quite the beauty in a few years- too bad her brother wouldn't grow to be any more beautiful...

Suddenly, a bolt of inspiration struck Targon. He spun around to look at his mind flayer. Of course, it was so obvious- how could he have overlooked it for so long? Illithids as larva were deposited in the same tank as the Elder Brain- a massive collection of mind flayer minds that formed the pillar of their cities. _His_ mind flayer had been removed from that tank before becoming mature and had been placed in the body of a child- not an adult like most of the freaky abterrations. It needed time to mature into its powers, no wonder he had been unable to harvest anything of value from it! Targon's elation faded as he realized there was almost nothing he could do to speed that process up- if it happened at all! He had been far too quick to use his only larva due to fear that something would go wrong, and his haste might possibly have undone him... however, he'd be able to make that excuse last a few more years, plenty of time to create a backup plan if the powers did not appear.

Targon rose from his chair and opened the cell door with a gesture, "Come out of there." The mind flayer obeyed, walking outward unsteadily; Targon had taken to kicking it when his potions didn't work. "Walk over to that wall," Targon looked at the girl, "you too." He pointed to an empty space and followed both of them to it. They both stood there, girl and monster, each probably fearing some new punishment was about to be bestowed upon them. Instead, Targon took a piece of chalk from his pocket and marked the height of each of them. The Red Wizards might find someone else who could beat him to the punch- but he knew his method would prove successful, he had done it before, how else had he managed to meet an Illithid without being enslaved in the first place? All it would take was time...

Years passed...

She couldn't remember her name. That was the hardest part; at having seen fifteen winters she didn't know her name. Targon referred to her only as 'Girl' and the monster... the monster spoke nothing, did nothing, was nothing- especially not her brother. She walked into the cell as she did every morning with a bowl containing a small morsel of grey matter. She had long since overcome her disgust and fear of the creature and its food; now she viewed it as little more than another belonging of Targon; just like his desk, his fireplace, his bed... no, don't think of the bed. She noticed the creature was still sleeping on the straw, the same as it had for the last five years.

_Five years, has it been so long already?_ When your day to day activities seldom changed, time began to lose meaning. When the sun rose she would get up and start her daily chores: cleaning the floors, dusting his books, checking on the mind flayer; every day she was faced with it, the creature that Targon had stolen her brother from her to create.

Targon himself would seldom leave the bed until nearly noon; preferring to sleep in until he could no longer ignore the calls of nature. After he fully awoke he would go downstairs into the lower levels and return with brains for her to feed his captive. If it was the first day of the month he would measure various parts of the creature and herself to see how they grew. He spent more time measuring her, she dreaded to think of why he did so. Her mother had been taken from her when she was young, but her elder sister had been told about such things and she remembered them still. But the Girl trembled more for her safety, for she had a secret that Targon had not managed to guess. As her mother and sister had before her, she too had inherited the gift of psyonic powers. She put much effort into controlling it, for if Targon knew she possessed them- who knew what he would do?

She placed the bowl on the floor and prepared to leave before she felt something she hadn't noticed before. _Who am I?_ She whirled around quickly, wondering who had snuck into the tower. All she saw was the monster sitting up in 'bed'. _Who are you?_ Her mind reeled, it was talking- something it had never done before!

Almost before she could catch herself she replied with her thoughts, _I do not know._ The creature managed to stand up, weakly holding onto the wall as it kept looking at her. She noticed a hand grip her arm and felt herself being pulled away from it as Targon entered the room. Closing in on the creature with a feral grin and a glint of light in his eyes, Targon knew by the girls reaction that his mind flayer was finally, truly, awake.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 2: Awake_

Targon sat in front of a roaring fire, sipping fine wine while enjoying the company of Luther, a high-ranking representative of the Red Wizards. Luther had been assigned to keep tabs on Targon's research, which had finally paid off. Luther leaned forwards, eager to hear more about the product his organization had paid dearly for. In his hand he held a small vial with an electric blue liquid inside of it.

"So your formula will grant the one who drinks it complete immunity to mental attacks?"

Targon nodded and idly sipped his wine, attempting to look nonchalent, "Indeed, did you think I would not keep my promise?"

Luther grasped the vial tightly in his hand, "Did you think the Red Wizards would not demand proof? Your words are fairly dripping with honey- now give me something more."

Targon leaned forward and grinned. _Time for the trump card._ "Girl!" His servant appeared, he was glad she had changed out of her rags that she normally wore- she had embarrassed him in front of company before and he had punished her for not thinking to dress herself appropriately. "Bring the mind flayer out here." She nodded and left without a word. She reappeared shortly, ushering in the mind flayer. The years had wrought their changes upon it, no longer was it a short, childlike monster- it had matured into the creature that inspired fear in many of the learned minds of Faerun. Targon's grin widened as Luther flinched back slightly at the sight it, his leather armor creaking slightly at the motion.

"Ugh, they certainly never conquered so much of the Underdark through their looks- that's for sure. You have a test in mind Targon?"

Targon nodded in response, "Mind flayer," it turned to look at him, its pale eyes reflecting firelight, "take the girl." The creature turned and the girl immediately fell backwards, landing painfully and crying out. Targon kept an eye on Luther's face and how quickly color had fled from it. It was a feeling Targon understood well enough himself. As a mage, having the power to defeat a lesser person was greatly intoxicating- to know that such alien beings could undermine even power such as his with a thought was disquieting; for the mundane it must be outright terrifying. "Luther," the Red Wizards representative looked slightly startled at being addressed, "I advise you to drink that quickly." Luther downed the entire potion in a single swallow- his fear becoming evident. Targon stood upright and gestured towards Luther, "Mind flayer- take him!" Luther raised his arms in the vain hope of warding off the mental attack that... never came? The frightened rogue peeped out beneath his crossed arms in time to see Targon strike his experiment.

"Try harder!"

_thud_

"Nothing?"

_smack_

"I ordered you to take him down!"

_whack_

With the final blow the mind flayer collapsed into a ball, covering its face with its arms as Targon kicked it one final time before regaining his 'composure' and speaking to Luther.

"I can produce a dozen of those potions in a month. As you required proof this shipment will only have eleven now. Each requires ingrediants that are somewhat rare and expensive- the hardest of course being the ichors of the mind flayer. They will cost the Red Wizards 500 gold pieces." At a nod from Luther, Targon added, "Apiece." almost as an afterthought. Luther blanched but nodded, mopping the sweat from his brow.

"You shall have it, how long do the effects last? And will the potion keep for a decent amount of time when unused?"

Targon grinned, he was in his element and had no issues playing his part, "The effects will continue for roughly an hour, I have not kept a potion long enough to test the latter as I spent considerable time and energy producing them to be used by the Red Wizards so unfortunately we'll discover that one together."

Luther accepted a box of the potions from the girl and placed it into a small pouch he had on his belt, causing it to shrink and eventually disappear from sight. Luther had lost much of his stature in Targon's eyes, and decided he needed to recapture some of that with a boast. "The Red Wizards will be assaulting a city of the Illithid within the next year- if we manage to capture any alive, would that speed up your efforts?

Targon's eyes gleamed with greed, "Certainly, so long as the required funds and perhaps assistance are sent my way? I have also spent considerable amounts of time and effort studying the physical limitations and weaknesses of mind flayers- perhaps that would be useful as well?"

Luther immediately extended his hand, "On behalf of the Red Wizards of Thay- be welcome Targon." Luther reached into his pouch with his other hand and withdrew a different bag, one that clinked with the sound of coins. "Here is your first payment, should you require anything at all, be sure to contact me and I'll see that you receive it."

Targon nodded as he shook Luther's hand, delighted at the outcome. _It's easy to come out ahead of someone when you have all of the cards._

_ It's easy to come out ahead when he thinks he holds all of the cards._ Claire thought at her Illithid conspirator.

_Indeed, I obtained much information from this "Luther"; were you harmed from my mental attack Claire?_

Claire laughed at his joke, the two of them had quickly learned that Targon could not detect their mental conversations and so spoke frequently throughtout every day. _He has no idea his potions are useless, are you sure faking the attack was the wisest course of action? He probably would've been slain on the spot if Luther thought he had been lying for all of these years._

_ Yes, now Targon will be accepted into the Red Wizards without question. He will meet and speak with many of the foul creatures, each one giving us more information so that we may strike freely and with certainty amongst the organization._

Claire's brow furrowed as she shut the door on his cell, _About that, how well are you doing in developing your powers?_ A sense of sadness came through the telepathic link she shared.

_I still cannot seem to use the mental blast effectively, I imagine normal Illithids all have this information readily available to them as part of the hive mind..._

Claire heard Targon calling for her from the front room. _You'll get the hang of it eventually, and when you do..._

_ I will kill Targon, and every other Red Wizard of Thay I can reach._

Claire smiled as she finished locking the door. _That's the plan, sleep well, _


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 3: Awake_

Claire braced herslf against the wall; unable to stand under her own power any longer. The times where her captivity would overwhelm her were few and scattered, but when they came upon her she would lose all strength and collapse into little better than a tangle of limbs while she thought about what she had become. Had Targon not destroyed her family, they would've been together- happily living with one another; even in poverty they'd at least had one another, and now Targon had taken everything... Claire collapsed to the floor, feeling a pain that even her Illithid conspirator would not understand.

Upon sensing her distress, said Illithid conspirator sent a mental tendril out tentatively; he was stymied by the shields she had raised to keep him unable to reach her. _Claire?_

Her response was delayed; it felt more distant than her normal thoughts. _What?_ The sadness that clung to her answer was almost palpable.

_What happened? I feel pain coming from you, it's different than normal._ He felt her strengthening her mental barriers until he could no longer sense her pain.

_Nothing. I'm fine._ The obvious lie wouldn't have fooled anyone had it been uttered aloud, with mental conversations it was even less convincing. Claire had been the only person that had ever touched minds with the Illithid prisoner, he knew her almost as well as she knew herself- if not better, it had been his probing that had allowed her to remember her name.

Which was how, even though she was shielding herself, the Mind Flayer knew the moment Targon found her lying against the wall. Typically Claire was able to converse mentally without any outward indication of her doing so, but due to Targon's recent actions against her; the anguish had made her temporarily lapse- finally tipping off Targon about her powers. Targon struck the girl across the face with his staff, knocking her into the corner in a heap.

"You've kept your secret well, perhaps I should've punished you more in the past so you'd let it slip earlier! No matter," Targon enacted a simple telekinesis spell- dragging her back to his chambers, "I'll wring any more secrets you have right out of you- secrets are such a terrible burden after all, you should thank me." Targon shut the door behind him, observing his slave quivering against the far wall, eyes closed tightly; Targon grinned as he strode forward, only to frown as a vase flew at him. It stopped short before falling to the ground, negated by his ring and its ability to prevent mental attacks of all kinds.

"You dare?" Targon strode forward, kicking her in the stomache. The girl recoiled before leaping at him, trying in vain to strike him. Targon easily repelled her attempts and forced her back, laughing. _This routine again?_ In his amusement at torturing his captive and amidst the general clamour of the fight, Targon missed the quiet opening of the cell door.

The Mind Flayer stepped from his cell, flames burning in his pale eyes as he quickly strode to Targon's chamber.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 4: Vengeance_

Targon suddenly halted hus assault as a voice echoed in his head. _Hello Targon._ He spun around to find the creature he had spent a decade studying standing in the doorway before him; with no trace of the cowardice or frailty it had demonstrated over the past years. Targon leveled his staff at it, he still felt confident he was in control of the situation; the creature's attacks would be of no use against him with his ring.

_Is that so?_ The voice sounded in his head again, Targon suddenly froze; a fear quickly spreading along his spine. It was talking to him, it couln't do that while he had the ring!?

_ You no longer hold the ring Targon. _Targon was suddenly struck from behind, as he fell he glimpsed the girl behind him; the bedpan dented from where it had just struck him, his ring on her finger. She had taken it from him during their struggle. Darkness overtook Targon...

Claire stood over Targon's still form, breathing heavily; clutching her torn rags to her chest. The Mind Flayer stood in the doorway, rage still burning in his eyes. Claire felt the mistrust she had held in the older days building within her again, but pushed her fears back. The Mind Flayer pointed to his hand, then at her; Claire abruptly realized that so long as she wore the ring, they couldn't communicate; at least not from him to her. After a brief second of indecision, Claire's belief in her companion won out and she removed the ring. The thoughts of her friend came through once more.

_We'll take him to the cell._

Targon regained consciousness slowly, he wasn't the most able-bodied of men years ago; and a daily routine of studying, experimenting, and drawing ichors from the Mind Flayer hadn't been particularly good for him either. The mind flayer! Targon surged to his feet, or at least, he attempted to. He was held fast by a chain holding him to the farthest wall in the cell he had contained his prize in for so long. Said prize was standing before him, with his staff in hand. Targon decided to attempt reasoning with the monster-

_Monster? That's rich irony coming from you; what harm have I done to anyone in my short life?_

It was reading his mind as easily as if it were a book!

_Easier actually, books carry big words on occasion. This should not surprise you, you've been studying my kind for years now._

Targon attempted to cast a spell, only for the Mind Flayer to strike him across the face with his own staff. Realizing he had no control over the situation, Targon waited to see what it wanted.

_What I want?_ The Illithid seemed to find that amusing, though it remained as still as stone while speaking. _What I want Targon, is to rid this world of you, the Red Wizards, and anything else that would commit such crimes for nothing more than personal gain. _

Targon laughed, "A Mind Flayer with a righeous outlook? That's a tale for bards! Release me already and we'll see about taking down the Red Wizards if you so desire."

_You daft wizard you, I've been persuaded; come- let us destroy our foes! Oh wait-_ still it did not move; but the derision and amusement came through the thoughts crystal clear, _I can read your mind Targon. And even if I couldn't- I know you. _Targon visibly paled as the anger behind the thoughts built up. _I know what you've done, I know what you do, and by the Nine Hells I can guess what you would try if given the chance!_ Targon was falling backwards, the strength of the message nullifying his attempts to focus past it; he closed his eyes and put all of his concentration into one last taunt.

"What about the girl?! You don't fool me Flayer- you'll kill her and suck her brain, and after her you'll go after others! You can't live without killing others!" The mental assault ceased, Targon opened his eyes to see its face inches from his own; he could see his own visage reflected in its eyes.

_Her name is Claire, Targon, she befriended a monster like me- do you know why? _Targon honestly couldn't fathom what made the stupid girl think that was a good idea. To forsake a human master for the mind flayer? _Fool, it's because I was the lesser evil to her. Let that sink into your thick human skull. Between the alien and the human, between the monster and the wizard, between the prisoner and the jailor; she chose me rather than you. She was a slave to you; but to me she is an ally, a friend, the only person in the entirety of this realm that I know I can trust- and you hurt her, you've hurt her in ways I will never understand or comprehend; that is something __**I WILL NOT FORGIVE!**_

The room shook, Targon was thrown back against the wall by the force of the thoughts. In his anger, the Illithid had discoverd the secret to using its mental blast; just project the thoughts as normal- but with more power. Simple in theory, more complex in practice. The realization calmed him, which caused Targon to be more afraid than when his experiment had been bombarding him with its mental powers.

_ She is under my protection, and you... how did you put it so many years ago to the boy who you murdered to create me? _Targon began breaking down into tears as the tentacles rose from the Mind Flayer's face, reaching towards his own. _"You aren't going to bother anyone ever again."_

Claire heard Targon's screams, she resisted the urge to cover her ears, determined that she would not hide from his destruction; though she had not been willing to watch. The scream abruptly ceased, though she heard a cracking sound of bone being broken. She stared at the ring in her hands, trembling with the weight of the decision that hung before her. _Do I let a Mind Flayer- ally or not- free in Faerûn?_ Everything she had ever been taught about the Illithid pointed to them being as evil, if not more manevolent, than Targon had ever been. Targon's one exchange of humans for favors was their every day activity. This would be the time to stop it, before he started gaining more power or influence. She would be immune to any mental power he could use against her but... Claire dropped her hand to her side. She wouldn't do it. They had been together for too long, she would not rob him of his freedom and life anymore than he would do so to her. She had been there for him even in the beginning, when he had barely been able to think straight, let alone dominate someone's mind. She had read his thoughts every day for years- he held her nor regular humans no ill will. She couldn't turn on him just because of what he might do.

She felt a pulse of magic from behind her; she spun around to see a cloud of dust emerge from the cell. Her friend strode out of it. He wore Targon's clothes but even as Claire watched magical energy flew around it, altering it to fit what its new holder desired. The flowing robe became crimson leggings complete with boots, the eloquent sleeves slimmed down to become more fitting to his form as the rest took on the semblance of a red overcoat; a scarf appeared to cover the tentacles on his face as a broad-rimmed hat materialized above his head to complete the outfit. _I do apologize for the screams; but I've discovered something that Targon didn't know._

"What did you learn?" Claire asked, she wanted to get used to speaking again; it was something she had rarely been allowed to do when Targon held power over her. In answer, her newly freed associate lifted his hand and a ball of fire sparked to life within it.

_I appear to have a talent for sorcery. Combined with consuming Targon's memories, my talent and his knowledge have granted me the ability to cast spells that even Targon was not able to wield properly._

Claire nodded, glad that he wouldn't be entirely dependant on his psionic abilities to fight. Targon's last "gift" would prove useful in his quest. A thought occured to her and she relayed it the the Illithid. "You refused to take a name until you killed Targon, that's been done. What should I call you?" The mind flayer dipped his head in thought, the brim of the hat obscuring his face; though it would've given no indication of what he was thinking in any case.

_A Mind Flayer they call me, an insult to any Illithid that would hear it; but I hold no allegiance to that race or those who share similar interests and plans and so I will bear the name they scorn. _Claire caught her breath as the hat lifted and she looked into the eyes of the lone Illithid. _Call me Flayer._


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 5: Flayer_

Luther was worried. He had recieved no word from the Red Wizard party that had left for the Illithid city. Even factoring in a lengthy battle, they should've returned weeks ago- or at least sent a message! He nervously twirled a dagger in his hands as he paced the central room of his home, on the table his uneaten meal still sat waiting for him, his nerves preventing him from eating. Down the main hall he could see the room where no fewer than four guards maintained their post at his front door. As one of the "faces" of the Red Wizards, Luther was somewhat well known amongst the people of Thay; any potential enemies would have to deal with his guards first, giving him the perfect opportunity to run or fight as needed. His home was an investment in this exact plan, it was a small affair with little adornment to draw the eye of anyone. That had been the plan that kept anyone from finding him for all his years of service to the Red Wizards of Thay.

A plan that fell apart not two seconds later as a figure in a red coat suddenly appeared next to the four henchmen Luther employed. They rose to face this new foe before all falling to their knees and then flat on their faces; the figure had not so much as moved to incapacitate them.

Luther quickly reached over his shoulder and drew out his crossbow, years of the rogue life made aiming at the figure more an exercise of memory than of active effort. The bolt fired from the crossbow, whizzing down the hallway and impacting the red man in the shoulder, spinning him around and to the floor. Luther quickly drew another bolt to arm his bow when the reprisal came, a small glowing ball no bigger than the tip of his finger came flying down the hall. Luther recognized it for what it was and leapt backwards not a moment too soon as the fireball filled the room. Even though he had acted as soon as he could, the edge of the blast still hurled him back into a wall as his home began to burn. He struggled to his feat only for several bolts of whirling magic to emerge from the smoke- striking his crossbow from his hands. Luther drew his dagger from a hidden sheath; whoever had decided to come against him wasn't going to take him down easily!

_You're not wrong._ What the- Luther suddenly found himself being bombarded by some sort of force, he couldn't concentrate, he couldn't think! Eventually he fell to his knees, unable to keep standing as the force continued to build in his skull. He looked up to see the cloaked figure step out of the flames and smoke, bearing a familiar staff in its hand.

"TARGON!" with one last scream of defiance, Luther focused on the anger of this betrayal and stabbed towards his adversary's face. His dagger was enchanted with potent magics that would prevent a mage from using spells for almost a day when cut; a failsafe in case any wizards he dealt with turned on him. His desperate attack narrowly missed, instead slashing the scarf off the face of his enemy. The alien face that had haunted his nightmares stared back at him.

_Hello Luther._ Luther quickly backed up until he met with a wall. Smoke filled the room, clouding his vision; but it would equally obscure the sight of the monster. Luther quickly fanned out his options and decided on a course of action, he knew his home like the back of his hand, even blind he would be able to find his way out before the Mind Flayer could locate him. Any thoughts of fighting had fled the moment he realized Targon was likely dead and his monster had set its sights on Luther.

_He's certainly more of a threat than Targon was. _Flayer mused to himself as he crouched low to the ground to avoid the worst of the smoke. Luther was resourceful and had nothing to lose; a dangerous opponent indeed. Flayer kept his attention on Luther's thoughts even through the smoke and was well rewarded; one of Luther's thoughts had betrayed that he kept a cache of potions in a chest in case of trouble- he had discarded this idea because Flayer was closer to them than Luther himself had been, fortunate for Flayer; quite a problem for Luther.

Flayer reached the cabinet and smartly rapped the side with Targon's staff, rendering the spring-loaded trap useless. _Many thanks Luther. _Flayer sensed the anguish Luther felt as he realized what he had done and felt Luther hurriedly make a break for the exit. While the smoke hampered Flayer's ability to see, his mental faculties were not impaired and he sensed Luther's route would take him extremely close to where Flayer himself was crouching. The mind flayer waited until Luther was nearly upon him before taking action- standing and reaching both hands outwards then bringing them quickly back together. A clap of thunder filled the area, temporarily clearing the smoke and hurling Luther into the corner of his exit hallway. Flayer made sure to grab a potion marked with the rune for 'healing' and stalked over to where Luther was trying to rise; painfully aware of the crossbow bolt still embedded in his shoulder.

Luther was winded, that spell had not hurt him nearly as badly as the corner of the wall had; the edge had caught him right in the small of the back and he was only just getting to his feet when a pair of boots entered his vision. He looked up to see the Illithid standing in front of him.

_I propose a wager._ Luther held very still, trying his hardest to keep his mind blank. _I have one of your potions in my hand. I'll allow you to drink it but-_ the apparition raised one of its fingers to help make its point, _if it doesn't do what it says- that is no worry of mine. Agreed?_ Luther ground his teeth together, it could read his mind- what was the point of playing such games? He didn't mislabel the potions just to mess with possible intruders. _No games? Works for me._ What? Wait no! Luther suddenly felt an extreme cold enter his chest. He looked down in horror to see the hand of the Mind Flayer inches from his chest, and ice spreading across it from the spell.

"Wait- wait damn you!" Luther was having trouble drawing breath, each gasp was harder than the one before. "I can help you! What do you want? We can work *cough* together!"

_Everyone is always asking me what I want._ The ice continued to spread. _You humans sell yourselves so easily, you're willing to stab your own ally in the back at the slightest change in fortune; and __my__ race is an evil that makes the world shake in fear? _Luther was no longer able to speak, breathing alone had become almost impossible even with the temporary reprieve from the smoke. But that didn't stop him from gasping when the last thought entered his mind. _All I want right now is for you to die, you can't lie to me then._

After Flayer finished absorbing the few of Luther's memories that would prove important; he ate the brain. He had never truly understood why humans found the concept so abhorrent. True, it violated the body- but did they not do the same for venison or other meats? What was so special about their own? He'd been tempted to ask Claire but had never thought it wise to broach the subject. As an Illithid some parts of him would be very alien to her, and he took great trouble to not bring that to her attention as she was his only ally and friend.

Keenly aware of the fire that was rapidly consuming Luther's home; Flayer activated Targon's staff to disintegrate Luther's corpse. The purpose behind this act was twofold; firstly because it would prevent Luther from being ressurrected- especially since Flayer had devoured his brain, secondly because it was a welcome release of tension and no small bit of fury- Luther had not been nearly as important as he thought. He had held precious little information Flayer could use in his mind. After the flash of light Flayer noticed amongst the dust pile a small dagger remained, he grabbed it before teleporting back to his tower- he had already wasted the potential for gaining potions thanks to his ill-thought attempt to use a fireball, the dagger was something Claire at least would find useful.

Claire had finally finished what she had started. Targon had kept a menagerie of homeless and helpless in the lower levels of his tower to harvest brains for Flayer. Claire had freed them all within a day of Targon's death; since then Flayer had taken to using the large room for practicing his spells while she catalogued the resources they had. It was a small task, but a depressing one. Targon had not spent the money he had been given for the potions on useful things, instead buying exotic furs and drinks. The only useful things he had owned were the ring that protected you from mental attacks, his robes, and his staff. Flayer had insisted they belonged to Targon's former teacher, but where they had come from made no difference to Claire. There was no more magic to be found at the tower; and precious little gold either.

Claire's contemplation was suddenly disturbed by Flayer reappearing in his practice chamber. She turned with a smile on her face before she noticed one arm hung low, blood dripping down it. She removed the ring as she spoke, "What happened?! Are you okay?" Flayer swayed, leaning on his staff but remaining upright.

_It turns out some humans are better at fighting than others, who knew?_ Claire noted that blood was steadily dripping onto the floor, likely from the bolt that was still protruding from Flayer's shoulder. _Luckily the robes have a bit of magical protection in them; I should be okay. But, _Flayer held out a hand that held a potion blue potion and a short black dagger in it, _if I fall- give me some of this will you? Luther wasn't paranoid enough to mislabel his potions to spite others, this will heal me if I'm too far gone. The dagger will prevent people it cuts from using magic. It's incredibly valuable, perhaps more so than Targon's staff even. Gold would be rather useful- you can buy all sorts of things with it; food, water, food, water, rugs, clothing-_

Claire interrupted the babling Illithid, "You need to lie down, come on; I'm not selling the loot from your first triumphant hunt- but you can worry about that after you rest."

Flayer allowed himself to be led to Targon's bed and almost forced under the covers. He saw Claire leave the room before returning with bandages to help staunch the bleeding. _If I don't get better at combat, the Red Wizards are the least of my problems- I'll be slain by a well prepared dire rat._


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter 6: Not Your Average Illithid_

Claire was bored. This in itself was not unusual, she had often been denied any sort of fun or... anything at all while she was Targon's slave, but she was allowed to freely explore the tower and its contents to her hearts desire- something she had been unable to do before. And with Targon recovering from his assassination attempt on Luther, she had little to occupy her time with.

Claire opened the door to Targon's room, glancing at her Mind Flayer. He was fast asleep, his facial tentacles twitching every now and then. Claire quietly closed the door before heading towards the library. Once safely within she lit a candle and found what she was looking for.

She had often noticed Targon reading a specific volume, with his death she had taken to trying to locate that book; Claire felt it might hold some answers she needed to know. She lifted the ancient text off of the shelf, heading to a desk and carefully opening it by the light of a candle.

Targon had not felt it desirable to advance Claire's learning, so at around 20 years of age she still read at a pace any serious scholar would find abyssmal. But she persevered, knowing somehow that this book would prove important to her.

After nearly an hour of study, Claire knew why Targon constantly referenced these pages- they held information about the Illithid that Targon's former master had been studying. Claire frowned as she read further- some of this was not correct at all. After spotting several oddities she opened a drawer and pulled out parchment and quill to record her thoughts to compare them against the text.

"An Illithid secretes a mucus that keeps their skin moist." _But Flayer doesn't do that? His skin is dry._ Claire read on, growing more confused the further she read. Flayer did not resemble most of what Illithids were said to be, one of the few notes that was held true for him mentioned that, "Illithid abhor sunlight and will do all in their power to avoid it." _That's more like Flayer, he cloaks himself heavily to avoid the light and wears that giant hat._ Claire thought to herself. But the rest... Flayer did not act or look like most Mind Flayers? He demonstrated plenty of emotions, something the writer had assured the reader an Illithid didn't do. And Claire knew he had no desire to fuse with the Elder Brain, recoiling slightly at the thought of the massive organ sitting in a pool surrounded by Mind Flayer larva. Claire eventually came across another page, there was little writing on it but a word had caught her attention. 'Adversary'.

_"According to Illithid legends, if you believe such things, there would one day be a Mind Flayer born who instead retained all of the memories of the host body as well as all of the associated powers of becoming an Illithid. Such a being would be destined to destroy all of the Mind Flayers and would be, body and soul, the original person."_

Claire immediately hurled the book backwards, emotions crashing through her faster than she thought possible and making it hard to breathe. She wanted to believe it was possible- the passage had reignited hopes she had thought long dead- but at the same time the thought filled her with an immense fear.

IF Flayer was such a legend made manifest- that would mean her brother yet lived- but it would also mean that the cold-blooded killer was the young boy she had spent hours collecting flowers with to surprise their mother, the same boy that had climbed a tree to rescue their cat, the same boy who had helped bake a pie for her birthday... tears filled Claire's eyes. She wished she had never opened that tome!

After a few moments she caught her breath. _It doesn't matter, he isn't my brother- he's just a Mind Flayer with a grudge. He hasn't even thought about trying to fight his kin, much less wipe them from the world. There's no way he's the 'Adversary'._ Claire dried her face before picking up the book and replacing it on the shelf, an errant thought twisting through her mind as she heard Flayer waking up in the other room.

_It seems like no matter which way I twist and turn, my fate is to always lose..._


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter 7: Hunting at the Market_

Claire walked through the market, chatting with vendors and haggling over goods like food and a few pieces of clothing. While she did so she was also keeping an eye out for the insignia that Flayer had told her to watch for- a golden axe on a blue field.

_Luther was part of a group of mercenaries that sell their services to the Red Mages of Thay. Find that insignia near a mage and you find our next target._ That was what Flayer told her this morning before she set out. With his scarf and hat Flayer could pass for human at a glance, but he wasn't willing to risk it without a good reason. So here Claire was, shopping and watching for the mark. She walked around the market several times until she finally saw it, a mage with two men in chain following him around, one of which had the ax on his vest.

Claire walked closer, trying to surreptitiously get a good look at the mage's face. It didn't take long for him to catch her doing it and he ordered one of his guards to go to her. Claire's stomach turned as the large man came closer- he reeked of hot metal and sweat. She did her best to not appear intimidated as the man reached her and spoke.

"Inerian wants to know what your interest in him is." The man reached down to his belt where a broadsword was sheathed.

"Inerian had best follow me then- Luther sends word about the expedition." The name brought no recognition to the mercenary's eyes, but he turned and walked back to his employer to relay the message. That was a much more rewarding experience, the mage noticeably jumped before making his way towards Claire. Claire took a deep breath and followed the plan, walking slowly away from him and towards an alleyway.

This was a gamble, Flayer had learned that Luther had no idea about the group that had gone to visit the Illithid, so Flayer had determined that any partners would be anxious to hear whatever they could about the operation. To that end- Claire was meant to be mysterious and aloof- hopefully to draw them into a secluded place. She walked around the corner of a brothel and saw the location Flayer had mentioned. It was an alley between the brothel and a stone wall of an estate, with not a single window or person present. The Red Wizard followed her, flanked by his bodyguards. They spread out to either side of him, warily looking around to make sure there was no threat. The alley appeared deserted, with only Claire in it apart from themselves.

"Alright girl, tell me- what did Luther discover? Did they succeed? How much Adamantine did they recover? Is the mine safely under our control?" Claire held up one hand, halting the question barrage.

"I need to be sure you're the man I'm looking for. Luther was attacked recently- I'm sure you heard?"

"Luther survived?" The mage's surprise was evident.

"He did, but he has since taken to draconian measures of paranoia; all you must do is answer a question and then I will speak with you further."

At a nod from Inerian, Claire continued, "What is the name of the superior you both report to?"

The mage was perplexed, "Gennison? What kind of question is that?" Claire reached out a hand and was relieved to feel a wand slap into it. She pointed it at Inerian and activated the magic within to cast a simple silence spell. All the sound vanished from the market- and Inerian's frantic attempts to speak to his henchmen were likewise futile. Even as they turned to run, a cloud of daggers filled the air around them; cutting and slashing at the three of them. The guards did their job and both sprinted at Claire, drawing broadswords in hopes of cutting her down. They skidded to a halt, eyes bulging, as Flayer appeared before them. Claire was included in Flayer's mental greeting.

_Hello._ Claire could see the mental blast in her mind's eye- Flayer fired a cone of psionic energy outwards from himself, striking both of the men and stunning them. Subsequent waves knocked them to their knees and then all the way over, their willpower was unable to stand up to the attack. Inerian meanwhile had not run through the daggers but had instead followed his guards- electing to hide behind them instead of brave the whirling cloud of death. This had the unfortunate consequence of leaving him face-to-face with Flayer as his men fell face-first onto the ground, the spell of silence preventing the falls or screams from being heard.

While Claire couldn't read minds like Flayer could, Inerian's face was perfectly clear what he was thinking even without words. Flayer helpfully supplied the exact wording through telepathy. _He's thinking of how fast we can run._ Claire watched as Flayer reached out just as Inerian began to run- catching him by his arm. Despite his slender frame, Flayer was not a weakling- possessing the strength of a strong man through just his heritage alone. The Red Wizard could no more drag himself away from Flayer than he could rip his own arm off. Flayer turned his prey around to face him before Claire saw his tentacles emerge from under his scarf to reach the mage.

And that was when Claire turned away. In her mind she knew exactly what would happen- Flayer would even now be reaching his appendages inside of the man's skull, breaking bone if necessary, to get to the brain and eat it. But knowing something was a far cry from needing to see it done. Claire waited for Flayer to send her a telepathic "All-Clear" before dispelling the silence. She turned just in time to see him use his staff to disintegrate the bodies- to ensure there was less for someone to try and track them. They were attacking the Red Wizards on their home turf, the extremes Flayer recommended for safety were not only smart- they were necessary. That was what Claire told herself anyways.

* * *

Later when they had returned to the safety of the tower, Flayer relayed what he had discovered from Inerian's mind. _Gennison is our next step. He won't be like Targon and the others- Gennison has defenses in place around his home. He'll be a challenge._

Claire stirred the stew as Flayer communicated with her- he was across the room staring at the various wands and scrolls they had acquired from the lower tiers of the Red Wizards. She lifted the spoon and took a taste as Flayer continued filling her in. The chicken stew was nearly ready.

_He is reclusive and unwilling to leave his abode without cause- we will not be able to trick him out into the open. Meaning I'll have to challenge him there._ Claire winced, attacking a Wizard on his own grounds was as dangerous as it got. Even Targon had placed multiple defensive wards and enchantments on his tower- and Targon had not been especially talented as a mage. Of course, if Gennison preferred to employ guards perhaps his magical defenses were not so potent... Claire voiced a question that she had been pouring over since they had slain Inerian.

"So that's why that team went to the Underdark- for Adamantine?"

_That would appear to be the case, they either know or suspect of a deposit somewhere near Illithids- else Targon would never have been recruited with such haste._

"Adamantine is a precious metal- what use is that to a Wizard?"

_Oh it's very useful- armor made of Adamantine is incredibly strong and durable, weapons can be made to be very light and balanced as well; though I suspect they would use it to make golems. Such a golem would be very hard to destroy and would make a fearsome opponent to fight by either blade or magic. A few of those would be worth a mountain of gold- and even more in potential power._

Claire nodded, pouring a bowl of stew for herself and taking it to the table to eat with a slice of bread. "So we know why they went, but we still don't know where?" Flayer's disdain for the Red Wizards made itself apparent in his response.

_The foolish humans are likely dead- the Underdark is not forgiving towards those who tresspass without proper precaution. Living or dead- they are of no concern to me. My only focus right now is the foul Mages that reside in Thay. _

Flayer turned to look at Claire directly, in order to impart more impact to his next words.

_They will eventually find me- at some point you will have to leave Thay for your own safety. I'd rather you- GAHT!_

Claire smirked as the piece of bread bounced off Flayer's face, startling the Mind Flayer. She was well aware that seeing a surprised Illithid's face was an experience few hoped to achieve. "I'm sticking with you- get used to it."

Flayer tried to regain some of his dignity with one last bribe. _If you leave you could go where you wish and do as you please- so long as you remain you are in danger. _Claire laughed, amusement did not come often to her but when it did she suffered a fit of giggles that she couldn't resist. Flayer patiently waited for it to subside before questioning her. _What amused you so?_

Claire gave a small aftershock of a giggle before responding, "Why don't you just read my mind and figure it out for yourself?"

_Because I trust you._ Those four words struck Claire, silencing her for a moment. It occurred to her that Flayer had never known a family or friends- while her memories of her family were fleeting- they were still there for her. Flayer had only Claire and Claire alone. _No wonder he's so concerned about me._

Claire smiled at Flayer, "We'll be fine." she said it again with more conviction, "We'll be fine- together."

Flayer looked at her, his expression unreadable to Claire's human eyes. _Perhaps we will._


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter 8: Rumours Abound_

Flayer walked slowly through the crowds, doing his best to not draw attention. It had taken the better part of a week- but through covert mind-reading he had gained enough information about Gennison's manor and its defenses to feel confident in making his move. He had a helpful lad walking next to him, reeking of ale, both in smell and in thought.

Claire had laughed when Flayer had, in a futile attempt, tried to explain what a drunk "sounded like" in regards to a telepath like himself. He had described it as if a person had a mouthful of butter and was trying to talk around it. The less coherent a person could be while speaking, the less coherent his thought process was as well.

Flayer's assistant was too far gone to realize what a bad idea what he was about to do was. But some subtle mental prodding had convinced him Flayer's plan would be "fun". He waited until he could see the guards blocking the entrance gate before he elbowed his new friend.

_Go get em tiger!_

Flayer felt a little bad about never bothering to learn the man's name as the drunk dropped his trousers and began expelling urine onto the wall surrounding Gennison's manor. Flayer eagerly awaited the response he had predicted.

It did not take long. Flayer continued walking forward as he saw two guards sprint towards the wretch emptying his bladder on the wall. Flayer quickly took his opportunity, noting that nobody was looking at him, and dashed to the gate- whipping out a scroll and reading the spell upon it. His skin turned transparent and he immediately leaped through the wall without pausing, his ESP informing him that no guards were on the other side. That same ESP informed him that the two guards had beat his distraction a few times and sent him off and were returning to their post, one of them complaining that his chainmail was going to stink for a week.

After a brief feeling of suffocation he passed through to the other side and landed lightly; looking around quickly to assess the area. Gennison's manor boasted a stone path that went from the center gate to the front doors. From his week of research, Flayer knew the statues on the roof were gargoyles- gargoyles that would attack him if they noticed him. However, they only watched the front of the house, not the sides. He circled around the wall of Gennison's home before making a break for the manor.

He ran towards the walls of the manor, keeping a mental count in his head of how much longer his etherealness would hold as well as keeping his mind open for Gargoyle detection. After a brief mental search he found a room with no thoughts in it and hurled himself through the wall. He found himself in a library that had no lights lit in it. _A shame; finding him here, distracted, would've been far too much luck I suppose._

Flayer cautiously extended his mental senses, searching for nearby thoughts. Claire was a psionic as well but her powers were far weaker and less developed- she had the odd bit of telekinesis but that was all she had exhibited thus far. Flayer by contrast could sense the thoughts of all nearby sentient creatures- reaching well over a hundred paces in every direction from himself- even back to the gate's guards.

_I couldn't find the fish at market for Gennison's meal tomorrow- he's going to be upset with me!_

_ Stupid drunk pissed all over my chainmail- wonder if Bernard would notice if I swapped it for his armor?_

_ I think there's someone in the library._

Flayer exerted his will, causing his outfit to alter its colors to better blend into the shadows of a corner as the door to the library opened and an elderly servant walked in carrying a lantern. Flayer debated his next course of action. His etherealness had expired and there was a man looking for someone. A deeper probe informed him the man before him did not possess good eyes and had maintained this library for Gennison and his father before him; and that the fellow had done little wrong in his many years.

This troubled Flayer, had the man been a person with evil in his past he would've struck him down without a moment's hesitation, but he appeared to be little more than a caretaker that had spent a considerable portion of his life keeping the house in decent shape for Gennison.

For perhaps the first time in his (admittedly brief) existence, Flayer was reluctant to take a life that he had no vested interest in. It was one thing to kill those who gained power from misfortune, or others that sold their bodies and blades for money, but killing a man who had done no harm to anyone appeared to trouble Flayer's heart. _I guess Claire was right, I'm not an entirely lost cause after all._ The revelation did not sit well with the young Illithid, he needed to be ruthless and without flaw if he wanted to survive, caring was something that could undo him quickly in the wrong situation.

Flayer decided to watch the old man and to see what happened next- hoping to find an opening to leave the room. The servant slowly made his rounds around the library. Flayer took this time to get a far deeper read than he had previously dared to give Gennison's employees. The man's memories opened up to his mental probing. Flayer was given a greater understanding of the manor than anyone- even Gennison himself- had.

Flayer learned of secret passages and how to open them. The composition of the walls and rounds of various guards were delivered unto him, as was the location of Gennison's bedroom. Flayer quietly made his way out of the room as the helpful chap continued to look around- taking great care to minimize the amount of noise he made while walking. Gennison's quarters were on the 2nd floor near the back of the manor. Flayer crept towards the stairs. The thoughts of a patrol reached him and he hurried up the stairs before they turned the corner to spot him.

Flayer knew they would soon walk up the stairs themselves and so made haste down the hallway coming to the room that he knew Gennison slept within. Flayer opened the door, keeping his mental net open and ready for incoming foes, and entered the room. And there he came upon his sleeping target.

Gennison was an overly large man- baby fat still clung to his cheeks. A short stubby nose was set in the middle of his face and tendrils of curly red hair waved back and forth at the steady breathing of his sleep. Flayer suddenly became aware of two things: the caretaker was on his way to check on Gennison, and a pair of guards were walking outside the window- and a Gargoyle perched directly above it. Without hesitation, Flayer whipped Targon's Staff out and pointed it at the sleeping Red Wizard. _No time for fear or finesse._ A beam of green light fired from the staff- hitting the helpless mage and killing him before he ever awoke- leaving only a pile of dust on the bed.

Counting the seconds, Flayer activated a cantrip that would detect magic, taking a second to gaze over the room before moving over to the wardrobe and opening it. A variety of elegant robes and jewelry awaited him. _We don't have the resources or contacts to pawn anything recognizable- magic only. _He hurriedly grabbed several magical rings and necklaces before he noticed a pair of boots that emanated much stronger amounts of magic than the trinkets. Flayer picked up the boots and placed them into his belt pouch, the boots shrinking until they neatly fit inside of it.

Keenly aware of the approaching gentleman as well as two guards who had been drawn to the noise made by Flayer's search- Flayer sprinted to the door and made a gesture with one hand before touching the door. A wave of magical energy shimmered around the portal briefly before fading, ensuring it couldn't be opened without magic or breaking the door. Flayer backed away in time for the doorknob to rattle.

"Master Gennison? Master Gennison?! Guards! Guards!" _For an old man he sure still has a set of lungs on him._ The shouts likely reached the entire manor. The door shuddered beneath a blow- it was a strong door, but it wouldn't hold for long. Flayer ran to a desk that he knew Gennison kept important papers in. _I need a hint for where to go next._

Subtlety and stealth went out the window, Flayer ripped drawers out of the desk and scattered papers across the floor; furiously trying to find one of importance.

The door shuddered again, and again. WHAM. WHAM. Cracks had appeared in the wood- soon it would give way. Flayer could still hear calls for Gennison but he tuned them out, focusing on his task. He could pick up stray thoughts from the papers, memories of Gennison imprinted on them; memories of people who wrote to Gennison. Memories that Flayer could use to find his enemies.

Flayer located a secret drawer in the desk, he broke it free with a crack of broken oak. The door chose that moment to give way with a _screetch_, dumping several guards into the room. Two leveled crossbows at Flayer while the other two took up clubs and stood to the side. The old man stood between all four of them, crying.

"What have you done to Master Gennison? Where is he!?" Flayer could feel the genuine grief coming from the man- he had cared for Gennison, despite his partnership with the Red Wizards. Flayer was facing the man who had raised Gennison like the son he never had. Flayer cradled the drawer in one arm while he pulled his hat further down over his face. _I can tell from their thoughts they haven't seen my secret- I wish the old fool wasn't so broken about Gennison!_ Unable to physically speak Common- and entirely sure that mental contact would be a dire mistake indeed- Flayer instead took his free hand and pointed to the bed and the dust pile that had formerly been Gennison.

As one, the guards and caretaker turned to regard the remains of Gennison. It took roughly two seconds for them to realize what had happened. With a scream of rage they turned to face their foe- only to see a rippling in the air as if from the road on a hot day. Soon that vanished as well, leaving the guards wondering about payment and a broken caretaker without a master to take care of.

The next day saw substantial amounts of gossip running through the city of Thay. The stories ranged from mundane to miraculous, from near identical to the real version to fantasies involving an entire Drow raiding party. All however managed to have one point in common, a man in a red coat and hat- with a scarf covering his face.

These rumors reached the ears of Red Wizards too. A vigilante trying to kill them was hardly a new worry for several of them- many laughed it off entirely. The names of those slain were that of the lower-tiers, the new entrants and the weaklings. But some grew afraid, a lone Wizard with nothing to lose was a threat- and thus far the track record of the killer was impeccable. Gennison's caretaker was brought in for questioning, but there was precious little he could tell them even under hypnosis.

And so the rumors of the Red Slayer of Thay began. He was a man, an elf, a dwarf, a demon- he could turn invisible, travel through shadows, sneak through the tiniest crack in the wall- he could shatter your dreams and even eat your memories.

Flayer laughed upon hearing Claire recount that last detail. _I'll give the people credit, they make me out to be far more interesting than I am._

She laughed alongside him before sobering up, "It's going to be harder for you now- isn't it?"

Flayer turned to look at his only trusted ally. _Like you wouldn't believe._

* * *

Special thanks to Nightwing for helping me realize I hadn't uploaded this chapter yet- I've been working on the next chapters because I thought this one was already up.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter 9: A New Player_

Flayer sank into the small bath, trying to soothe his nerves of the coming trek. As an Illithid, he required a special type of bath to be drawn every so often in order to preserve his skin. While he apparently didn't need to do so as often as typical Mind Flayers, he still needed the ritual to keep himself healthy. He knew the bath would not fully remove his worries for the same reason he had the worries in the first place- he would be leaving Claire in the tower, alone, without any ability to contact him for help.

Never before had he been away from Claire for more than a few hours at the most- the logical part of him understood that it was merely because he had grown overly attached to her- the other part was busy worrying about Red Wizards bursting through the door and taking her from him. _It can't be helped..._ Claire could neither go with Flayer nor could she go in his stead. The papers Flayer had stolen from Gennison's mansion with told of a meeting between a trio of Red Wizards a ways west of Eltabarr. They had no horse and Flayer couldn't teleport somewhere he had never been- Flayer would have to manually walk there and find his targets- ideally without being found out. He trusted in Claire to keep to herself and not be foolish, it was the rest of Thay he worried about.

One of the main reasons he had targeted Targon's associates first was that the less people who remembered the owner of the tower, the better. It wouldn't be the first building that was unofficially considered 'abandoned' and it certainly wouldn't be the last. But someone was eventually going to want inside for whatever reason and then the jig really would be up. At best they'd be forced to relocate, at worst... well, the worst case scenario for Claire was death or slavery. Flayer himself dreaded what he knew awaited him if caught- more experimentation- more harvesting- and the next time it would not be a fool who held him captive, he was sure of that.

Flayer stood from the pool and dried himself off before reclothing himself with what he had taken to calling the Crimson Articles. In its default form it was little more than a red coat, but when one willed it the clothes could change form to be whatever the user desired, even plate armor! Flayer himself willed it to create a dark shirt and leggings; the clothing appearing on his body with a slight tingling of magical energy. These went underneath the coat as a red scarf circled his face, gathering his tentacles together and hiding beneath the cover; meanwhile, his broad-rimmed hat spun into existence on top of his head as a pair of black gloves crawled into being on his hands. The dark covering helped prevent the sun from excessively drying Flayer out and preserved his skin.

Then he crouched low to obtain his boots from their place on the floor. A rare treasure indeed, they caused Flayer to move at twice the speed he could before- a potent treasure he had been astonished Gennison had owned. Flayer picked up his staff and gave a little shiver of excitement despite his dread of leaving Claire- the exciting thought of finally being outside of the city was intoxicating to him. Having already said his farewell to Claire, Flayer quickly exited the tower as the sun rose, heading towards the gates of Thay. And then he promptly fell on his face. _OW!_

He had fallen over his own feet, unused to traveling at the speed his new boots granted him. After picking himself up he tried to tentatively step forwards again. _Start slowly, keep control, learn- adapt- overcome._ This was Flayer's mantra and he kept it in his head as he began walking faster. After several moments he broke into a run, moving at a greater speed than he had before.

A man carrying a barrel over his shoulder stepped out in front of Flayer- he was oblivious to the Mind Flayer running towards him! Flayer quickly altered his course to run around the man, the breeze of his passing causing the fellow's cloak to whip as though under a strong wind. By the time he turned around, the barrel-holder saw nobody in sight and merely shrugged the incident away.

Flayer quickly made his way to the gate and slowed down, eager to see more of the world. He was aware his curiosity was affecting his decision making but was unable to temper it. He approached the guards and quickly gave them both a mental probe as he approached. There were no standing orders to prevent people from leaving the city and the guards were too bored and tired from waking up to be overly bothersome to anyone traveling past. _Good._ Flayer strode past the two without a second glance, keeping his head down to minimize the possibility of anyone spotting him; though it would be no easy task even for someone staring straight at him to recognize him for what he was.

And then he was outside. Flayer looked back at the walls of Eltabarr. _It would be so easy to leave- why won't she go?_ Flayer had only one thing in his life that he felt worth protecting, and she absolutely would not listen to reason! Flayer gave a soft sigh and began walking westwards. Off in the distance he could see the Thay Mountains- thankfully the wizards he was after had not journeyed there nor were they high-ranking enough to warrant a residence there. _Someday I will have to attack Red Wizards there- and on that day I will truly be afraid._ Thay Mount was home to many of the strongest and most dangerous Red Wizards Thay had to offer, if what Flayer was doing currently was unwise, going there would be nothing short of suicidal.

Flayer's rumination was interrupted as he began to sense thoughts of others around him, despite the road appearing empty on all sides. _An ambush then?_ Flayer opened his mental senses wider to "hear" more.

_One mark only, but he's got some nice clothes._

_ Shit- my bowstring broke!_

_ Oh man I have to piss something fierce._

_ A Red Wizard I think- be sure to throw a handful of dirt at him before the arrows._

The last person intrigued Flayer, whoever it was knew about one of magical defenses a mage might use- and Flayer was willing to bet it came from person experience of some kind. He walked forwards at a normal pace as though he knew nothing. The thoughts of his assailants kept him company as he traveled, there had to be 15 of them. Eventually he came a stone wall. _This is where they'll spring their trap._

Sure enough, they appeared quickly and without undo noise. _They know this trade far too well for common bandits._ They collectively formed a sort of triangle around Flayer, each with archers and the two sides that were not in front of him had a man with handfuls of dirt standing ready. _Smart enough to know about that spell but not clever or skilled enough to realize there are more than one way to shield oneself._ Flayer's attention, however, was focused on the middle man in the group of five that stood directly in front of him on the wall.

He had short curly hair that reached a bit past his chin, where the stubble of a brown beard made its presence known. He appeared much younger than the rest of the group, perhaps only being 20 or so years old- making him young even for a human. Flayer had been preparing for this the last several minutes of travel. As an Illithid- he could not physically speak Common, or any language really, but he could use magic to create the sounds that a mouth would create- a workaround that required more effort than simply projecting his thoughts- but it was what he had to work with. _At least it requires little effort._

"Greetings young man, what are you doing here?" Flayer had practiced this technique with Claire, who assured him that the voice sounded no different from that of another human, though someone extremely perceptive might note the differences.

Flayer however, read the thoughts of all 15 of his assailants. _NOW!_ A dozen bows immediately let fly in his direction, along with two handfuls of dirt. Before the arrows could reach him Flayer acted, already his attire gave him a generous amount of protection, but Flayer took no chances and enacted a form-fitting shield that enhanced his armor past that of even a suit of heavy plate. The arrows bounced off, one after another. Flayer stepped to the side to avoid the dirt. He noted the men were preparing to fire again but halted as he made no move to attack or run away.

_Cocky Red Wizards isn't he?_ Flayer turned to look directly at the leader. From reader the minds and thoughts of the bandits Flayer learned the name of this foe, Terren. Another flight of arrows and dirt were deflected by Flayer's enhanced armor, faring no better than the first. Flayer decided he needed to take control of the situation before they tried something else.

"Terren, I would like to speak with you." Abruptly the entire group froze, one of the men outright dropping his bow in panic. Terren himself frowned but at least responded with words instead of more arrows or the daggers Flayer knew he had hidden in either sleeve.

"Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"I am the one who can answer your questions. He who walks amongst fire and blood, between shadows of memory and- oh to the hells with it." Flayer had no interest in being vague and dancing around the point like his memories told him other wizards did. "I'm the Red Slayer of Thay- if you want to help me then stop shooting me- otherwise I'm going to start retaliating against you."

Terren's expression didn't change, an admirable facade, but his thoughts betrayed him. _The Red Slayer exists? No- it's only a rumor- why should fortune favor us in such a way?_ Terren spoke to Flayer, "Supposing you are the Red Slayer, why would you be out here? Shouldn't you still be in Eltabarr?"

"I have things to do outside of Eltabarr for the next few days, perhaps I'll even tell you about them if we have a deal. You leave me be, and I kill more Red Wizards, the best of both worlds- no?"

Flayer could tell from his thoughts that Terren badly wanted to believe him- but was unwilling to bet the lives of all of his fellows on that chance. The others were growing increasingly nervous and hopeful in equal measure, except for one...

Flayer turned and gestured at one of the bandits, exerting his will and calling out a spell to hold him. The man's eyes bulged but he could move no part of his body but his eyes and mouth.

"Help! He's caught me!" _Indeed I have._ Flayer thought to himself. He used his magic to speak the next part aloud for the benefit of Terren.

"This man was just contemplating how much gold the Red Wizards would give him if he could lead me to them, does this information interest you Terren?"

Terren had hopped off the wall and quickly walked to the man, a pleading look in his eyes. "Why? John? Why would you do that?"

John struggled but couldn't move, forced to make eye contact with Terren. "You think what you're doing makes a difference? Or what he does either? Robbing one Red Wizard here and there? More often than not just getting magical stuff we can't use or sell? My family is starving Terren- maybe you don't have anyone to provide for- I do!"

Flayer suddenly became uneasy, he dove further into John's mind and suddenly realized exactly why this group was here- John had betrayed them all to the three Red Wizards Flayer was hunting.

"Terren, he's betrayed you."

The young man turned on Flayer, screaming at the Illithid, "Do you think I don't know that?! Be silent or I'll cut that tongue from your-" Terren's eyes suddenly widened as he gazed at Flayer from a closer range, "face..." Terren had gone deathly pale. _Oh he figured it out, now he either needs to join me or die._

The latter option became more likely as fireballs suddenly erupted around all three of the lines, hurling bandits aside like so many leaves in the wind. A few of them emerged alive but they were badly harmed by the attack as Flayer's targets flew overhead, their hands glowing with the flames of their recent magics.

Flayer responded with his own spell, at his word several beams of fire raced from his hands- arcing to strike at the closest mage. The beams all bit deep, cauterizing the wounds even as they pierced clean through the man; causing him to scream and plummet out of the sky as he died- the spell keeping him aloft vanishing with his life.

Terren himself had grabbed a bow and fired an arrow at another mage, tagging the man's arm in the midst of casting and ruining the magic; the wizard immediately dropped through the air to stand on the stone wall so he could focus better on his next spell.

The third mage was hunting down the few remaining bandits that had run off, throwing another fireball and eradicating the group; Flayer noted that John himself had been in that bunch before the flames eclipsed him. Flayer raced to finish his spell and threw a bolt of lightning at the mage standing atop the stone wall- the bolt shattered the wall into pieces and threw the Red Wizard backwards in a broken heap.

Flayer turned to see the last mage about to cast a spell on him; Flayer managed to turn and raise a barrier as a hail of magical bolts struck at him. Thanks to the boots Flayer was far faster than his opponents, he conjured up an arrow of acid that struck the mage square in the chest. The mage had one last startled thought, _How can he weave spells so quickly? _before Terren appeared behind the Red Wizard, slitting his throat with a dagger.

Human and Illithid alike stood panting for several moments, surrounded by fire, blood, and fallen bodies. Terren pointed his dagger at Flayer. "I know what you are."

Flayer dropped the guise of a voice and spoke to Terren's mind directly. _Then you know that what they say is true- I am a threat to the Red Wizards- either help me or get out of my way._

Terren grimaced and gestured around at the remains of his group, "What other option do I have? I knew I was never going to get far just by doing this- but what else could I do?"

_You tried._ Cheering up humans was not one of Flayer's strengths. From reading Terren's mind Flayer was certain he would not betray him, his hatred of Red Wizards ran as deep as Flayer's own; although Flayer had not yet delved deep enough to discover the source. _Come with me, you can meet the rest of the group._

Terren's surprise was evident, "There's more of **you**?"

Flayer realized Terren thought Mind Flayers were running around on the surface. _Oh no, there's only one of me, but now it looks like there are three Red Slayers now. Welcome to the team- let's see how many Red Wizards we can take down before they catch us._

Terren grinned, a sparkle appearing in his eyes, "Alright, I'm in."


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter 10: A Party_

Claire had prepared for many things since she and Flayer had won their freedom and begun their war on the Red Wizards- but Flayer willingly walking back into the tower with a friend had not once crossed her mind. _A person- a human- someone that can talk- I- how do- AHHH!_ Normal thought patterns eluded her as the new arrival awkwardly stood in the door as Flayer walked forwards and gave Claire a short hug.

_I'm back- and I brought someone home- is that okay with you?_

"Yes of course, that's fine- who is he? Ahem- who are you?" Claire leaned around Flayer to speak to the young man.

"My name is Terren, Flayer here saved me from a Red Wizard attack." Terren looked incredibly uncertain about what to do, something Claire could empathize with, he kept moving his hands along his sleeves for some odd reason. "Are you- you're not like him are you?"

Claire shook her head, blond tresses twisting in the air. "No, I'm human just like you. My name is Claire by the way- pleased to meet you."

_Fill him in on our history, I have some new magical items to identify and I hope one of them may lend us a clue about where to go next- the battle left nothing for me to follow._ Flayer left the room, heading for the study.

Claire nervously twisted a strand of hair in her hands behind her back, she had not dealt with another person for a long time now- at least not so close! "So- what happened?"

Terren's eyes darkened and he dropped his head. "I was born to a family of slaves. A Red Wizard bought my father years ago, he simply took him from us and left my mother and I to starve in the slave pens. My mother died when I was 5, she caught a fever and nobody would help us." Terren sighed. "I was alone for a long time, scrapping out whatever living I could. You learn things on the streets, useful things like how to take the coin from a pocket before anyone notices, and how to avoid notice when they do realize they've been had. I guess you could call me a thief."

Claire motioned for him to follow and they walked to the kitchen, seating themselves at the table. "So you were without a mother or father? Let me guess- that made you angry and anxious for revenge against the Red Wizards?"

"Oh no, not a bit." Terren spoke in a reassuring tone. _Huh?_ "I had no real interest in revenge. How could I? I had no idea of who bought my father- I can barely read and nobody asks those sort of questions and lives to talk about it. I ran from the city after being caught lifting a purse, I ran into a band of bandits and joined up rather than be killed and looted. I still do hate the Red Wizards, I even managed to kill one- that's why I was elected leader of the group- but I mostly was just trying to keep a group of bad men on a better road. Ha." Terren gave a sad laugh. "Fat lot of good that did."

Claire leaned forwards and spoke in an excited voice. "But you can still help us? Why? Why won't you go back to what you were doing?"

"Because they were my friends, Claire. They may have been poor, uneducated, and more than a little willing to do harm for personal gain- but they were all I had. Most of them only ever had a choice between slavery and banditry, there was nothing else they could do to avoid their fate." Terren slapped his palm down on the table. "And they died, screaming, because a group of Red Wizards wanted some target practice. I've never stopped hating them, I just didn't think there was anything I could do..."

Claire stared at Terren, "And then Flayer appeared."

Terren nodded, "And then Flayer appeared. What business does an Illithid have on the surface? Attacking Red Wizards? It doesn't make sense!"

Claire filled Terren in on the history of herself and Flayer, about Targon and his maniacal experiments, of Flayer's eventual growth and willingness to kill. By the time she had finished nearly an hour had passed.

Terren could only shake his head. "But you trust him?"

Claire looked right into Terren's eyes. "In all these years I've known him- he has never attempted to harm me or turn on me. I can't say the same for anyone else."

_But perhaps now you can._ The voice sounded in both of their heads as they turned in unison to see Flayer standing in the doorway. _Terren is sure to prove useful, he knows the streets of this city better than either of us- and he's no slouch in combat either. I am curious though, Terren, how do you know of my race? That's hardly common knowledge, especially when you admitted you can't read._

"Hey! I can read! Just not quickly and I don't know all of the words. That's not how I know about Illithids anyways- I've always known about Mind Flayers."

Flayer stood still, waiting, Claire did the same; patiently waiting for Terren to come out with it. Terren fidgeted with his sleeves again.

"Look, you can read my mind- you already know exactly how I know about you!"

_Yes, I can read your mind, however I was preferring not to in order to build trust._

Claire burst into laughter at the look on Terren's face. She wiped a hand across her eyes before asking her question. "Please, it's so unusual to have someone with an actual past. Flayer is only a few years old and most of my life has just been serving Targon in this tower. Tell us how you know about Mind Flayers- please?"

Terren scratched his head, "I have no idea what I've signed up for it seems. But fine, my mother was originally a prisoner of Mind Flayers, she was set free some years ago by a lucky adventurer from the Silver Marches. From one kind of slavery to another- the gods have a fine sense of humor it seems. I feel bad for her, at least she was happy for a few years when she was with my father. I remember the stories- you fit the bill. Tentacles, bad smell-"

_I do not smell._ Flayer's thoughts held a note of sternness.

"Maybe you can't tell without a nose, but yeah- you do."

_I do NOT smell!_

Claire grinned at Flayer's discomfort. Suddenly he stiffened and spun around to look at a wall that was facing the streets.

Claire rose from her chair, as did Terren. "Flayer? What is it?"

Flayer slowly turned to look back at them. _There's a child running through the streets directly outside of the tower, he heard the Red Slayer of Thay has been captured._

Claire shared a look of puzzlement with Terren. "But, you're here?"

* * *

Across the city of Eltabarr, a necromancer stood with his arms crossed and grinned at the Elf suspended from the ceiling by chains, an undead zombie standing to either side of him.

"I must say, things look rather dire for you, Slayer. Do you still think there's a chance for survival?"

The Elf hung from the chains, stripped of his armor and weapons, which ever now were lying in the corner of the room. He had taken down over a score of zombies with his skills but he had eventually been defeated by sheer numbers as well as more than a few spells. But there was still fight left in his eyes as he looked down at the foul mage. "No."

Suddenly the Elf vanished from the chains in a burst of silver mist, reappearing in front of the startled wizard. Before the necromancer's very eyes a silver mace appeared in his former prisoner's hand and he struck down either zombie in a flurry of quick movements. The Elf extended his other hand- a glaive appeared in it- the sharp edge right next to the wizard's throat. The Elf grinned, "I think your luck just ran out."


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter 11: A Late Arrival_

Terren crept forwards, moving from shadow to shadow as he moved closer to the place Flayer had said the child had come from. Even now Flayer remained in mental contact from the safety of his tower, speaking telepathically with Terren as he climbed over a wrought iron gate.

_Think of it as a test run, if you can survive this then you'll have proven your usefulness._ Claire had been quite supportive, passing Terren a magical dagger that could catch aflame and giving him a hug as he left. Terren was still mystified about why Claire was siding with a Mind Flayer, years of friendship or not.

_No time for that now, I'm doing a stupid thing just so I can join a group that does even stupider things, I can't make fun of Claire for doing the same thing._ Terren continued his infiltration of the Red Wizard's manor. Apparently the rumors he'd heard on the street were true- the fellow had a taste in Necromancy. Terren passed heaps of bones and corpses that still retained some animation magic still- despite being partially destroyed.

Flayer's voice guided Terren. _Zombies and skeletons work on orders, if they can't attack you and don't raise any alarms, you're fine. If they become a problem bash their skulls in._

_ Looks like somebody already did._ Terren thought in a dry response. Whoever or whatever had come through before apparently had no issues with the undead, many were in pieces and the few that weren't had completely destroyed heads. Terren didn't lower his guard, keeping a keen ear out for noise and constantly looking around for any danger.

Which was why Terren was already moving as a silver mace embedded into the stone wall right where his face had been a second before. Terren caught a glimpse of a coated figure as he was falling backwards, rapidly stepping back before the figure could strike again. _I found him Flayer!_

Terren ducked underneath another swing from the mace but unfortunately caught a shield right upside the face instead. Head ringing, he stumbled backwards as his enemy kicked him in the chest to knock him over. Terren quickly brought his legs around to scissor the shins of his opponent, bringing him down as Terren jumped to his feet and took a few steps away.

Terren was surprised as he finally got a good look at his quarry. _An Elf?_ The figure was slight, and had a dark coat covering a set of green armor that looked similar to platemail; but lighter. He also had a new weapon in his hands that hadn't been there a second ago. Terren brought his hidden daggers out of his sleeves just in time to catch the downward slash of the glaive between both of them. Terren took the moment to try and talk some sense into the Elf.

"Listen- I can help you if you just hold on a second!" Terren noted a hesitation behind the eyes of his adversary and pushed his point further, noting that rivers of blood were traveling through the silver hair of the Elf. "We've fought Red Wizards before- we can fight them again- but you're never going to get out of here without my help." Terren was surprised as the Elf staggered forwards and collapsed to his knees. _By the gods, he's already got a pool of blood! Flayer- get your ass down here!_

With a shimmer of air Flayer stood in front of Terren, cloaked in red and bearing his staff. _Any other unreasonable requests? This was supposed to be 'your' test. _Flayer suddenly stiffened to attention. Terren understood why as several ripples in the air surrounded them. _Grab the Elf- NOW!_

Terren obeyed without further thought, grabbing the Elf and slinging the deceptively light burden over his shoulders. Flayer reached out and grabbed his shoulder as several Red Wizards appeared via teleportation. One was already in the midst of casting a spell as Terren saw the world melt and shimmer as Flayer's magic whisked them away to the tower.

At least- that has been the plan. Instead, Terren found himself ramming face-first into a stone wall in an alley that was definitely not Flayer's tower. He managed to keep his feet and kept the Elf on his shoulder as he quickly took in his surroundings. Flayer was standing nearby, a hand flexing in the air as he glanced back and forth as though he were listening to something.

"Why aren't we at the tower?" Terren whispered.

_Because one of the mages that showed up was smart enough to immediately try and use a spell to prevent teleportation. He wasn't fast enough though- or else we'd still be there. Give me a moment and I'll try again._

"HEY!" Terren and Flayer alike jumped as a high-pitched voice sounded from nowhere. "That was cool- do it again!" Both looked down at the Elf.

_You said it was a 'him'... _Flayer's thoughts reached Terren, who replied in kind. _It is- he is- he's not THAT feminine!_

"Hey- hey listen- down here!" Terren felt an odd dread as he looked down to see a Pixie flying around the fallen Elf. She floated upwards until she was at their eye-level, constantly darting around too close for Terren to focus on.

"Right, stop that and hold still for a second." Terren implored the Pixie. To his surprise, she obeyed the command, halting in front of him so he could properly get a look at her. She wore short green skirt trimmed with gold embroidery that resembled small flowers, a matching chemise covered her torso- leaving her wings to flutter freely- the draft causing her shoulder-length black hair to waft as though in a breeze.

"You two aren't gonna hurt Laminas are you? Because I'll stop you from doing it!"

Terren raised his hands, trying to appease the Pixie. "I have no intentions of hurting him- it is a him right?"

"Of course Laminas is a guy!" the Pixie placed her hands on her hips, "Now- who are you and what are you doing?"

Terren gestured towards Flayer, who was standing still with his eyes closed. "He's the Red Slayer of Thay. He heard someone was caught who was supposedly him-"

_Indeed, I could hardly let that slide, although how they got it so wrong mystifies me. Laminas is garbed entirely in green and has no hat- how far off do those rumors really go?_

The Pixie flew behind Terren with a shriek. "Illithid! Mind Flayer! Run for your lives!"

Terren hastily reached around to try and grab her, but she was too fast for even him to grab. "Calm down and be quiet." He pleaded with her, "He's a friend to me and I'm a friend to you- that makes him okay right?"

She seemed uncertain but she was no longer screaming, "He's not gonna take Laminas' brain?" Flayer telepathically responded.

_I'm not planning on it, I was rather hoping to recruit him- anyone who can walk into a Red Wizard's stronghold and come back out alive is someone I want on my side. However..._ Flayer walked forwards and pulled out a potion from his belt pouch before handing it to Terren. _I want him to talk for a bit before we proceed. Terren if you please? I'm making sure nobody is coming for us._

Terren picked up the fallen Elf's head and tried to get him to drink it as the Pixie floated around his head. Terren decided to engage her in a conversation before she went crazy again.

"So you're who exactly? And why are you in the city? I thought Pixies liked to be out in nature and all that crap."

She stuck her tongue out at him before she responded. "My name is Selenea and I go where Laminas goes- he keeps me safe and I make sure he doesn't do something too stupid."

"Like attacking a Red Wizard?" Terren responded drily as his attempts to pour the potion down the Elf's throat finally started having a small amount of success. "Most would call that _too stupid_."

Selenea drifted downwards towards Laminas, "We didn't mean to come this far, Laminas found him looting a cemetery and stealing bodies- we attacked him and wound up here when he used some sort of teleportation door. Where are we?"

Laminas began coughing, slowly recovering his vitality as Terren administered the potion of healing. _Boy, he was nearly gone._ After the coughing subsided Terren answered the question. "You two are in Eltabbar, the capital city of Thay- home to the Red Wizards." Selenea still looked confused until Flayer's voice echoed in their minds.

_You're in Eastern Faerun, a long way from Silverymoon._

Selenea's wings drooped as she descended to sit down on Laminas' chest, which had resumed the normal breathing pattern of rising and falling steadily. "So far... I knew Laminas didn't want to go back to Silverymoon but now it's so far away we might not be able to even try."

Laminas suddenly sprang upwards, reaching for Terren's throat even as Terren was jumping away. _So fast!_ The initial lunge failed and Laminas stood quickly and summoned his glaive to his hands before Selenea stood between the two, arms outstretched. "Laminas! Enough!" Laminas lowered his glaive, panting slightly. For the first time since Terren met him, the Elf spoke, his voice was surprisingly musical.

"Greetings, and my apologies, the last few hours have been quite hectic for me- I'd have felt genuine sorrow for striking your head from your shoulders."

"Yeah, I'd be pretty sad too." Terren replied, keeping a wary eye on the newly risen warrior. "You've got some neat tricks- how can you do that with your weapons?"

"Oh this?" Laminas outstretched a hand and a silver mace appeared in a soft glow of light, nestled snugly in his grip. "I may be a warrior first, but I have more than a little talent in magic as well."

_A shame you didn't pursue that talent more, another mage would've been quite useful._

Laminas displayed the sort of reaction Terren was expecting- whirling around to face Flayer and hurling the mace at him. The weapon struck Flayer with the sound akin to a hammer hitting a nail- bouncing off with no visible harm to the Illithid. Laminas sprinted forwards, another light forming to create a glaive in his right hand as he slashed in a long, sweeping arc towards Flayer's torso.

The attack was aborted as Flayer reached a hand out to point at Laminas, who disappeared in a haze of white mist, reforming behind the mage.

Flayer was ready, and fast too- Terren could hardly follow his movements as the Red Slayer of Thay spun around on the spot and hurled the spell he was weaving at Laminas. Terren thought he recognized it as the same spell Flayer had used before, and was proven correct when Laminas' glaive was frozen inches from the edge of Flayer's face.

_Now, we're going to talk like reasonable... people. Then if you wish you can continue trying to kill me and I will add another body to my current count- and yes- I do keep count._

Laminas wasn't moving at all, but Terren was reasonably sure he could see the muscles flexing in his neck as the Elf tried to defeat the spell holding him in place. Terren tried to reassure him, "Believe it or not, he's not out to kill us. If he was, is there really anything stopping him from slitting your throat right this second?"

"Yes," Laminas responded curtly as he continued to strain against his invisible bindings, "because it's easier for him to trick us than control us- and he needs allies. I will not trust a Mind Flayer."

_Well that's a damn shame. _Flayer raised a hand and a flame appeared in his palm. _I can't have you running around telling people who and what I am- I would've thought saving your life held more value for you than that._ Terren noticed a flicker of doubt cross Laminas' eyes. _How well will Selenea survive without you?_

Open rage distorted the fair features of the knight, "Do not dare to harm her- or so help me I **will** kill you!" Selenea flew between Flayer and the enspelled Laminas.

"Please release him, he can be reasoned with- I don't want him to die!" It was a childish remark, but it seemed to work on Flayer, who lowered both of his hands. Terren watched warily as Laminas shrugged his shoulders but otherwise made no effort to attack again. Terren realized Flayer was either not projecting the thoughts to him anymore or simply wasn't speaking. A silence fell over the group as Terren felt the beginnings of joke come into being. _A Pixie, an Elf, and a Mind Flayer walk into a tavern..._

Laminas spoke again, a note of curiousity tinging his voice. "You could be reading my mind and using what you learn to control me- why aren't you?"

Terren quickly interjected on Flayer's behalf, sensing the conversation was not a one of his strengths. "Take it as a mark of his sincerity."

_Especially considering I showed no such restraint when you were attempting to kill me._

Laminas was silent for some time before nodding. "I still don't trust you- but saving my life and that of Selenea means I owe you a chance at least. So- what do you want?"

Terren could almost taste the anticipation in Flayer's mind as he mentally projected his thoughts to all three of them.

_For starts, we're going back to where you were captured to finish your job._

* * *

A short time later, Terren crouched on the roof of the building alongside his newest ally, both carefully examining the compound they had been at only moments before.

"Do you see them?" Terren whispered to his conspirator.

"No," came the quiet reply, "but I doubt they would leave before helping themselves to his treasures. Follow me."

The two of them crept down the roof. Eventually they came to a balcony on the 2nd floor. Terren instructed Laminas to keep watch as he bent to play with the lock. _Flayer, are you sure about this plan?_

_ You remember that Claire told you I've not even seen 10 Summers pass yet? Your plan was no better._

_ My plan didn't depend on something so dangerous as our enemies being stupid._ Terren finished the mental conversation as the lock came undone, allowing Laminas and himself inside. Terren crept further in as Laminas pulled a longbow out of nothingness. Terren couldn't help but briefly stare at the weapon. The bow itself was made of dark wood the likes of which he wasn't familiar with, with silver runes running down it and forming a circle around where an arrow was already resting on Laminas' finger. Terren shook his head and stuck to the shadows as he attempted to finish his part of the plan.

* * *

_He's whining to me about his part of the plan being dangerous? _Flayer laughed to himself as he finished his spell, teleporting directly in front of the manor in a shimmer of displaced air. A cantrip later and he began his plan as his voice echoed across the grounds.

"Red Wizards of They, come and accept your doom at the hands of the Red Slayer!"

If Flayer were human, he'd have grinned from ear to ear as the Red Wizards all but fell over themselves as they ran from the manor, each clutching a wand and sporting some items that likely belonged to the previous owner of the manor. All of them furiously scanned the grounds to locate the owner of the voice. Flayer raised his staff and carefully took aim.

Flayer tapped into Targon's staff and a ray of energy fired forwards, going straight through the mage as though he wasn't there at all.

_Damn, illusions, they aren't stupid._

Flayer immediately conjured up a barrier around himself, not a moment too soon as 3 fireballs all flashed into existence around him.

* * *

Laminas looked down at the battle, a large crater had been gouged in the stone courtyard, some 40 feet wide at its widest part. In the center stood Flayer, a shield protecting him from the attacks that had just gone off. Laminas drew his bow back and held the arrow, feeling the power increasing. He had enchanted this bow himself, it would store his potential energy for as long as he held back the arrow, unleashing it all in one shot when released.

Laminas let fly, the compressed power causing the arrow to fly forth and pierce cleanly through the closest mage, nothing more than a spark to indicate the wards it had gone through. The Red Wizard crumpled to the ground with a scream as the other two whirled to let fly a fireball each at Laminas' position. Laminas was already in motion, leaping off the balcony, landing on the ground and recovering as the fireballs hit the window- blasting the balcony apart.

Even as the shards of stone were falling towards him Laminas was tapping into his magical energy, hurling himself forwards in a haze of mist to close on them before they could use another spell. His glaive appeared in his hands and he cut at their arms, hoping more to prevent them from casting spells than anything.

One of the humans had a scar on his face, bringing up his hands and conjuring up a floating sword to block Laminas' attack. Laminas parried the flying blade as the wizard crafted another spell, causing a blast of wind to push Laminas backwards. Off to the side he saw the other mage briefly glow before facing Flayer, both of them making gestures as though casting spells. _Damn it Terren, where in the Nine Hells are you?!_

* * *

"Killed all of the zombies already my ass!" Terren yelled as he hung from a chandelier, a dozen zombies underneath him and moaning as they stretched their arms upwards. Terren suddenly felt the his small perch of safety shake as he heard an explosion off nearby. _Damn- they're fighting already!_ This line of worry about his companions vanished as he felt a jolt and sank a foot lower towards the monsters. He looked up to see the chain breaking free from the ceiling.

Thinking quickly, Terren took the dagger Claire had given him and held it next to the chain, speaking the command word to set it alight. "Inferi!" The flames lit and Terren struck, again, and again, until on the 4th strike he cut clean through the chain holding the chandelier; causing the entire ensemble to plummet and fall onto the zombies below. Terren dropped onto the chandelier, rolling to his feet and sprinting towards the entrance before any of the zombies could reach for him.

Terren ran through the open doors and was amazed at the devastation he saw. The battle had only been going for minutes at best, but the courtyard had a massive crater in it and the balcony he had left Laminas on was gone. Terren suddenly noticed he had attracted the attention of one of the Red Wizards, he had just long enough to see a giant bloodstain on his side before his focus was arrested by a light growing on his wand as he pointed it at Terren.

Terren dove to the side as the glow brightened, a bolt of lightning shooting from the staff to hit the wooden doors squarely; knocking them off their hinges and setting them afire. Terren quickly hurled the flaming dagger at the mage, noticing it struck him in the side and stayed there for a moment, burning the man as Terren closed the distance quickly.

But this was no amateur mage, already his hands were weaving a spell; causing 3 rays of flame to emerge from his hand and fire at Terren. He ducked under the first one and the second one missed, but the third one caught him right across the left arm. The scent of burning flesh filled his nostrils as Terren screamed with pain. He managed to keep his feet under him and moving, reaching the wizard and bringing out a dagger with his good right arm, cutting the man across his right arm.

Caught in close combat, and with his arm wounded, the mage panicked; he tried shoving Terren away with his remaining good arm. Terren rolled with the hit, allowing the momentum to push past him before making a savage blow towards his enemies neck- burying the dagger hilt-deep. Terren took a moment to reclaim his magical dagger before catching his breath.

The ground shook again, another fireball lighting up the surrounding area. Terren noticed Flayer standing in front of a large crater that hadn't been there a second ago, flames still crawling along it. Nearby, Laminas was furiously trying to get past a floating sword, the mage he was fighting was throwing spells at him while the sword kept him busy. Terren grimly took several steps forwards and stabbed the foe in the back, the Red Wizard fell as the magical sword suddenly vanished from Laminas.

_Grab anything you think is valuable, time to go._ Flayer commanded them and so they acted quickly. Terren found a wand and Laminas had picked up a few potions. Flayer himself quickly disintegrated the bodies once they were through with them before offering his hand for teleportation. Terren took the proffered hand from Flayer and looked back at Laminas, who was hesitating. Terren groaned.

"We don't have time for this now!"

Laminas sighed and touched Flayer's shoulder, looking unhappy about it. The three vanished in a shimmer of air, leaving the burning manor to crumble to its foundation along with whatever secrets it may have held.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 12: Flayer's Mistake_

Flayer shimmered into existence in the main hallway of his tower. Terren and Laminas appeared alongside him, both looking a bit beat from their adventure. Flayer reached out his thoughts to contact Claire and was met with silence.

_Claire?_ Flayer opened the door that led to the central chamber and came to a halt as he took in the room. _No!_

The room had been destroyed. Flayer silently stepped into the center of it all, taking it in. He could hear Laminas inquiring about the state of the tower but Flayer didn't respond, instead looking everywhere to discover what had happened.

The table had been destroyed, blackened fragments of wood were scattered across the room; some still smoking. Flayer didn't need to look through the door to the library to know they had destroyed or taken anything of value that had been in there, pages of research were scattered across the room. The case that had held the various wands and potions Flayer had been gathering for months had been similarly looted and destroyed. _Everything we had been working for... gone._

Flayer's fist clenched as he reached a decision. _No, not everything._ Terren took this moment to approach Flayer and tap his shoulder.

"Flayer? What are we going to do? Do you know what happened?"

Flayer had been angry before, when he had executed Targon he had been angry; this was a new anger to him- his blood was not boiling but rather- coursing through him like ice. He took a moment to memorize this feeling before turning to face his two allies.

_Claire is alive._

Terren looked surprised, as did Laminas; Selenea flew from wherever she hid on Laminas to ask Flayer directly.

"How can you say that? Your home has been destroyed."

Flayer nodded, his hat obscuring his features briefly before revealing a strange wetness around his eyes._ Yes, they destroyed everything of value, they did not wait for us to return and ambush us; nor did they destroy the tower itself. They want me to come to them, on their terms, that's why they took Claire._

Terren grimaced, "You know you can't walk into a trap like that, I don't care how good of a Wizard you are, that's suicide. Laminas lived through dumb-luck and you only ever go after them when you have a plan."

_I had no plan last time- we won that._

"You **lost** Claire, you didn't win." Terren pointed out. He felt his blood run cold as Flayer turned to stare at him with his empty eyes.

_I lost her... once I considered it my only purpose- protecting her... and now my thirst for killing has cost me the one thing I held to be important..._

Surprisingly, Laminas took a few steps forwards to speak to Flayer. "Every second you waste here is another second they have to take her further away- do you have any method of finding her?"

Flayer's shoulders slumped. _No, the ring she carries has formidable defensive enchantments on it- while she wears it she cannot be located by any divination spell I possess or my psionic powers._

Flayer felt a spike of elation from Terren and turned to look at him to see what had prompted the sudden emotional burst. Terren looked startled but quickly recovered.

"This ring- would a Wizard looking at it know it was magical?"

_It's possible, I do not believe such rings are so rare a Wizard would not recognize it._

Terren grinned, "And what are the odds a Wizard saw a magical ring- or even an ordinary ring for that matter- on a prisoner and didn't take it?"

Laminas grinned as well, a predatory expression filling his face, "Poor, dark Wizards see anything they can take as theirs by right of might."

_Meaning I might be able to locate her! _Flayer swept towards the door, surprising Terren and Laminas. Terren inquired after the Mind Flayer as he left at a magically enhanced speed.

"Flayer? Is there anything here we should take?"

_Everything of value is gone, the only thing of it I want back is Claire._

Selenea floated up alongside Laminas' head, watching the cloaked figure walking away. "Aren't you going to help him?" Terren glanced at Laminas' face, noting that he appeared to be struggling with his decision.

On the other side of the room, Flayer had enacted a portal of some kind, presumably preparing to go after Claire. Terren himself felt partially responsible, he suspected the Wizards had only found the tower because he had taken no precautions when leaving, despite being a marked man just as Flayer himself was. He was more than willing to follow to help her, she had been kind to him and he rather hated being indebted to others, but he was curious if this would be the parting of the ways that the Elf clearly desired.

After a few seconds Laminas sighed, "Yes fine, it's not like I can go back to Silverymoon anytime soon anyways." Flayer's portal fully materialized and he stepped through, either sure Terren and Laminas would come, or uncaring if they followed at all.

Terren held out his arm is a slightly mocking gesture, beckoning at the magical transportation. "After you, steadfast warrior."

Laminas strode past him at a brisk pace, "Don't fall behind, Thief. And watch out for zombies this time." Laminas disappeared through the portal as Terren jogged to shout after him.

"Hey- I'm not the one who travels across half of Faerun by **accident**!"

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter this time around, college is starting so things are going to be a bit chaotic while I settle into a new schedule.


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter 13: Claire's Plan_

_Alright Claire, how are you going to get out of this?_ Claire was locked in a cage- a nicer cage than Flayer had been given growing up- but a cage nonetheless. She reflected on her capture- wondering if she could've done something different.

She had been organizing the potions when the wards Flayer had left went off, triggering a bell in the center of the tower. Claire quickly grabbed several potions, chugging them down as fast as possible before the enemy could find her.

It did not take them long, the Red Wizards blasted open the door and stepped into the room. The one in front spoke in an imperial and demanding tone.

"By the order of-" WHAM!

His proclamation was cut short as Claire picked up the table and smashed it over his head. She felt the power of the potions flowing through her body- and she had to admit- it felt really good! For all of her newfound strength, she was still no trained fighter. There was no finesse as she punched the next Red Wizard- only strength born of desperation and magic. The blow glanced off his robes, enchantments turning her fist aside as the Red Wizard raised his hands to begin another spell. But Claire was faster thanks to her potions. Before he could complete his spell, she had recovered from her miss, spinning around and grabbing at his arms to restrain him. She grimly noted that no less than three Red Wizards had come to her refuge- and the one she hadn't dealt with yet was summoning friends.

She lifted the struggling Red Wizard into the air- positioning him between her and the demons that were materializing.

"Not another step! Or I break him!"

Laughter was the only response, along with a blast of dark magic. Clouds of vapor formed around Claire- choking off her vision and breath. She threw the mage aside and charged at where she had last seen the third one- only to take a swipe from some massive creature in the cloud. Claire stumbled and fell to her knees, her vision going dark as her breathing worsened, still crawling and trying to escape. Another heavy blow struck her directly on the back of the head and she knew no more.

_They took my ring..._ Claire thought to herself as she rattled the cage bars. The magical strength had long since worn off and the bars were securely welded in. The cage itself was the bare necessities, a bed, a privy, and a small washbin complete with a small cup. The cage was reasonably spacious- standing 10 feet by 10 feet- but there was nothing in it! Claire gave an exasperated groan and sat on the bed- trying to find a new angle to get out. It wasn't something she'd had a lot of experience with... if only she could think like Terren...

_You can._

The thought was so quiet, so hidden, that Claire almost missed it entirely. She gave a small start before looking around quickly- but she didn't see Flayer anywhere.

_It's obviously a trap- meant to catch me no doubt- but a trap for me could very well be an escape for you. We cannot enter the building you're in- but perhaps our knowledge can help you get out._

Claire nodded. _OK- I'm game- how are we gonna do this?_

A new voice filtered into her mind, unlike the cold and disciplined mind of Flayer- this one was sparkling and almost... jumpy even. _We're gonna mentally guide you!_

Irritation leaked into the conversation. _Laminas, can you please keep her out of this? I can't take that much positivety._

A sardonic tone joined in. _Have you ever tried telling a Pixie 'no'?_

Claire held her hands over her head- struggling to keep them all in check. For a normal person the sudden barrage would've been overwhelming, but Claire's own rudimentary telepathic powers made it doable, if not exactly comfortable. She tried to establish order.

_Okay- first things first- Terren?_

The irritated voice returned. _Speaking- er- mentally speaking?_

Claire waved off his confusion. _I'm locked in a cage and the bars are too strong to break._

Terren responded, _Okay- take a good look around- what's the room beyond the cage like?_

Claire surveyed her surroundings again before reporting. _It's all dark- besides the cage I don't think anything is in the room. There's a wooden door set in the wall._

Terren's reply was swift, he seemed to be getting the hang of this mental conversing, though Claire suspected Flayer had no small hand in how smoothly they were all managing to speak together; she could feel his mind- acting as sort of an extension to link them all together.

_The lock- look at the lock._ Claire did as asked and described it as best as she could. _Okay- that's not an overly tricky one but you need a tool. Do you have anything small and metal? Wooden? Anything that will let you get at the inside of the mechanism?_

Claire shook her head before remembering Terren couldn't see that. _No- they took everything- even my boots._

_ Search the bed._ Terren thought to Claire. _If they've had past prisoners (and they have) the captives may have hidden them there (shortly before they no doubt died)._

_ Thanks Terren._ Claire bemusedly responded. She searched the bed as she felt Terren's horrified realization that if he wasn't careful- Claire would receive ALL of his thoughts. Claire's digging suddenly found a false compartment in the wood the bed. It opened up to reveal several small objects that Terren informed her were 'lockpicks'.

After that it was a hellish game of Claire trying to describe the lock, the pins, and the way her hands had moved while Terren tried to guide her through what he called, "Lockpicking lessons".

_The lock didn't click and the pins are straight up and down. I moved my right hand to the left and it gave a little._

_ No no no- twist your left hand to the right- you should feel a click._

_ I didn't feel a click._

_ Okay, try the other hand._

And so it went, Claire sweating as she prayed to any deity who would listen to not have a guard investigate the chamber. Eventually the lock gave up- allowing her freedom! Claire danced from the chamber before glancing at the door. It wasn't locked- but there was a guard on the other side. He had a leather cap that obscured much of his face- and shapeless leather armor covered his body- much of it looking patched and damaged.

_An easy foe._ The Elf spoke to Claire now, she knew his name was Laminas and that he was a potent warrior, but that was it. She had to trust Flayer's judgement in this regard- which was made harder with Laminas' thoughts. _All you need is an opportunity. But I must know before you try- can you kill- Claire?_

_ Yes._ Claire knew without a doubt. Years of slavery had decidedly removed that barrier from her. Laminas took her grim acceptance in stride and continued to walk her through.

_Go to the cell and close the door- make some sort of noise in the room so he looks through the window and sees you are no longer there- wait on the side the door will open for him to walk in._

Claire did as he said, altering the cell, grabbing the chamber pot, and creeping to the side of the door. The pot was heavy and made of iron. It would serve. Claire hefted the cup and hurled it in the direction of the cell- hearing a CLUNK as it bounced off the bars.

The light trailing through the window darkened as the guard looked into the room. Claire heard a gasp and curse before she heard a more welcome noise- the rattling of keys. The door swung open between Claire and the guard as he began to walk into the room.

_Twist your hips when you strike, put your entire body into the blow and be sure to aim at the back of his head. If he is still moving after the initial hit- strike him again and again until he stops moving._

Claire gritted her teeth and lunged forwards once the guard exposed the back of his head. BONK. The bed pan slammed into the back of his head, denting the pan and causing him to pitch forwards. But he had caught himself on his arms- forcing Claire to hit him in the back of the head again. He was still moving when she hit him a third time. He stopped moving after that. Claire was panting with breath as Flayer now spoke to her.

_Take the body and his things- armor, weapons, keys- all of it. Drag his corpse into the cell and cover him with the bed covers before locking the door._

Claire did as commanded, the guard was somewhat slight, enabling her to actually move him without an extreme amount of effort. She wasn't sure if he was dead and didn't feel like sending that information to the others- he was dead enough for her. And if he wasn't... Claire took the dagger she had stolen and cut a few strips out of the blanket to tie and gag the guard that she was quite sure still lived. The armor was clean, but very damaged, at least it fit her. The leather cap was slightly too large- allowing it to obscure some of Claire's face. The keys jingled at her hip and she looked herself over. It wasn't the most perfect disguise- but it was the best she had.

After accomplishing the tasks- Claire walked out the wooden door and locked it behind her, just as she had the cell door, before resuming contact with Flayer and the rest of the group.

_What do I do now?_

_ Now?_ Flayer's voice sounded amused in that way a mental voice could only be. _Now you're going to capture us._


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter 14: The Escape_

Claire crept down the hallway of the tower, cautiously keeping her eyes, ears, and mind all open at the same time. Flayer and the others had fallen quiet now that she was out in the open, wisely reasoning that distracting her with mental conversation might slow her reactions in a pivotal moment. However, their concerns were groundless, Claire didn't encounter a soul. She began creeping less and walking more, until she was outright strolling down the halls like she was supposed to be there. The halls held nothing of note- they were comprised of the same sort of stone found in most of Thay and every now and again there was a torch to light the way.

After walking for some time, Claire became nervous, there was no way this one hallway went this far. She experimentally took a torch down and walked forwards with it- dreading the coming realization she was sure was coming. Claire was proven correct as she passed the empty bracket once more despite only going forwards- it was a trap of some kind! Claire began running back the way she came but only passed more torches, even the old room she had been in was gone, vanished like it had never been there at all.

She calmed herself down, recalling what Flayer had told her about illusions, "Their power lies in the mind- that's all they are- tricks to fool your senses into lying to you. But if you are patient and have a strong enough will- you'll find a hole. And like all lies it will start to unravel more and more the harder you look at it."

Claire began to inspect the hall, looking for anything that was a mistake. She inspected the torches and found them hot, the brackets were securely attached to the walls, and the ground was sturdy. Spinning around and around in panic, and feeling through her mental link that Flayer and the others had stormed the tower like they had planned and were meeting resistance, Claire desperately tried to find something wrong with the hall. _Damn these Wizards with their web of lies and tricks and- web?_ Claire began checking near the ceiling and was rewarded with what she saw- or rather- what she didn't see. There was not a single cobweb nor spider to be seen anywhere in the hall. Elation spun through Claire as the hall began to ripple slightly- as though it knew she was finally onto it. Now that she'd found one problem- others began to appear: a brick that wasn't the same color as the others in the wall, one of the flagstones that comprised the floor felt like her foot went through it, and one of the torches changed color right before her eyes. The hall shimmered like the heat of the noon-day sun was melting it before disappearing entirely- leaving Claire standing just outside the door to the room she had left. She eagerly sped forwards, running around the corner to reach the main hall and rejoin Flayer and his companions.

(Sorry for the short chapter, I've been working fairly hard on another series that's more sci-fi and it involves a LOT of research, not to mention my new job leaves me just really tired all of the time- it's pretty physical and I'm a weak human by any standard)


End file.
